4 Kooky Date Ideas Beginning with K

Our K-date was kind of dismal this week… but more about that later. In the meantime, here are four K date ideas for those playing along at home!
Fly a Kite
Let’s go fly a kite… up to the highest heights! I’ve had that song stuck in my head all week. Pick a clear, sunny [...]

Danny & Annie: A Love Story

I was lucky enough to find this video in my web travels last night (thanks to Sarah Prout for sharing it) and I just had to post it here for everyone because this is a story that should be told. It’s sad (you’ve been warned – grab a Kleenex before you hit play) but also [...]

mX Column: Can Men and Women Be ‘Just Friends’?

Can men and women ever really just be good friends?
Jealous girlfriends everywhere will tell you no, they can’t.
The media further fuels those insecure thoughts – there aren’t all that many prototype examples of what a cross-sex platonic friendship should look like. And too often, these on-screen friendships turn into Happily Ever After (Monica and Chandler, [...]

J is for Jigsaw Puzzle

I loved our J date idea. It was a horrible, cold, rainy Melbourne afternoon – no one would want to be outside in that. Luckily, we were prepared and snuggled in our warm apartment with a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle that I picked up from the supermarket for $3.99…

5 Great Date Ideas Beginning with J

Jigsaw Puzzle
On a rainy afternoon, settle in with one of those huge 500-piece jigsaw puzzles and some hot chocolate and yummy snacks. It’s a great way to spend a miserable day together.
Jump Yourself Silly
Ever seen one of those trampoline parks? They have indoor and outdoor ones, it’s basically Olympic-sized trampolines all set next [...]

mX Column: Wooing Women Right

Are men running out of ideas for wooing women?
So far in dating evolution, we’ve seen a full gamut of techniques, from dragging cave women back to the cave, reading sonnets, wolf-whistling and tooting car horns, sleazy one-liners (“Is there a mirror in your pants?”) and, in most recent years, the insult.

“Negging” is the official name [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting as a Couple – Part 3

So, you’ve successfully held a couples money and budgeting meeting together, as outlined in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Now what? Guest Poster Timothy Ng fills us in on how to ensure smooth ongoing handling of finances.
Successfully Managing the Budget as a Couple
With an understanding of your partner’s attitude to money, [...]

5 Fifth (Wooden) Anniversary Gift Ideas

Wood. Solid, reliable wood. Did you know that every piece of wood is completely individual, with it’s own unique markings that act just like a fingerprint?
And think of all the things that are built using wood. Whole houses are built on wooden frames. There’s no doubt of it’s sturdiness and usefulness.
And so, wood is a [...]

Om Nom Nom… Tasty Date Night Giveaway!

Melbourne daters, you’re in luck! We have five double passes, worth $55, to giveaway so you and your sweetie can have a date night at the upcoming Taste of Melbourne event, to be held at the Royal Exhibition Buildings from 26-29 August.

What is the Taste of Melbourne?
If you’ve never been, but you love good Melbourne [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting As a Couple – Part 2

So you’ve done your prep from Part One and you’re ready for your first Couples Money Meeting. Here’s how to tackle it. Part 2 in this series that we’ve asked guest poster Timothy Ng from Credit Card Finder to put together for us:
With your individual meeting prep done, it is time to lay the [...]

The 5 Best Date Ideas Beginning with I

Welcome to I week of ABC Dating. Here is the compiled list of I date ideas, for those of you who are playing along with our alphabet dating game at home.
Ice Hockey
Go see an ice hockey match! The sport has become more popular in recent years. Even our hometown of Melbourne has a [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting as a Couple

As I told you earlier in the year, I kinda suck at saving. I’m learning how this year, and it’s going okay. Den is exceptionally good at saving. Needless to say, the discrepancy causes a few, ahem, disagreements between the two of us. With the purchase of our first house looming ahead of us, it’s [...]

mX Column: Why is Food So Damn Sexy?

What is it about food that is just so damn sexy? Even the words we use to describe it are hot. Gooey, spicy, steamy food.
Food and love have been linked since… well, probably since the dawn of time.
I’m sure the most romantic thing a caveman could do for his cavewoman was bring home [...]

G is (also) for Games Night!

Relationships are all about games. The Hard-to-get Game. The If-You-Don’t-Know-Why-I’m-Angry-I’m-Not-Going-To-Tell-You Game. The Hide-the… oh, nevermind. The point is…

Do You Make These Relationship Mistakes?

Relationships don’t come with instruction manuals. It’s a funny thing, because anytime you’re embarking on a new adventure be it a baby, a holiday, or buying a house, you tend to research everything you can on the subject.
But how many people arm themselves with instructions on how to be in a relationship?

Not many. And certainly [...]

Write Wedding Vows You Can Be Proud Of

There’s the boring. There’s the funny. There’s the soppy. And then there’s that special balance in between that is touching and sweet while also packing a little giggle.
I think your goal when writing your wedding vows should be to get your audience to shed a few sentimental tears. Everyone comes to a wedding ready to [...]

5 Hot Date Ideas Beginning with H

Oooh… H is one of those tricky ones we keep coming across! These five Happy Date Ideas were the only ones I could come up with, but I know you clever little things will be able to offer some more great ideas to me as well.
Hedge Maze
Get lost in a hedge maze together. This is [...]

mX Column: The New Online Dating

Outsourcing is de rigueur in our technologically savvy world.
There are personal organisers, personal stylists and people to mow your lawn.

And now you can even outsource your dating life – or at least the more annoying aspects of it.
Online Dating consultants will, for a fee, do the hard work it takes you to [...]

Video: Best Public Proposal Ever

While I’m still completely glad that Den proposed to me in private (before springing all our in-on-it family and friends on me!), if he absolutely had to do it in public, I would’ve wanted one just like this. I’ve watched it about 5 times already and I tear up every time!

Let us know if you’ve [...]

mX Column: A Little Privacy

A friend of mine has taught her husband how to wax her pits for her. They are clearly a couple who are very comfortable with each other.
Me? I like to keep a bit of mystery going on in a relationship. Some things are best done behind closed doors.
Hell, I wouldn’t even reference my underarms in [...]

G is for Game Show

It was quite awhile ago that a user submitted an idea to the date night generator suggesting to go participate in a studio audience.

It ticks all the boxes as far a great date night goes for us – something new we’ve never done before, cheap and above all, fun, giving you something to talk about while on your date.

Get Lips Guys Will Love!

Continuing our week of beauty, the divine Stefanie from The Lip Print imparts her beauty wisdom on us with great tips for great lips!

Picture this: you’re enjoying a blissful Date Night with your partner. The mood is perfect, there’s ambient lighting and smooth background music. You close your eyes and lean in for a kiss [...]

Fuss-Free Beauty – New Fun Things

There are three new things in particular that have come to my attention this week in the fuss-free beauty arena. I’m pretty excited about them! As we discussed earlier in the week, being in a relationship makes me lazy when it comes to grooming. I know a lot of other women in the same boat. [...]

Fuss-Free Beauty – Things I Love

When it comes to my beauty routine, I’m kind of lazy. Add to that my general busy-ness and my hate of early mornings and what you get is a girl who either doesn’t have time or patience to spend hours in the bathroom every morning.
In an ideal world, one of two things would happen.
1) I would [...]

A Week of Beauty on $30 Date Night

Happy 201st Post, Daters! Just to mix things up a little bit, this week $30 Date Night is going to take a little deviation down the beauty route.
Why, you ask? What does that have to do with dating and relationships?
Plenty, it turns out.

Because if you feel good about yourself you’ll feel better [...]

Deal or No Deal, Baby!

Em’s and I have been keeping this one secret from you. G is for Game Show! DATE NIGHT on DEAL OR NO DEAL! The episode airs tonight (Thursday 15th July) – in Australia – 5.30pm EST on Channel 7.

F is for Football

With the high fever of the world cup that has been going on the past weeks, it was only logical that F be for Football in the grand scheme of Alphabet Dating.
After all, it’s only us Australians and the US that call it soccer. To the rest of the world, it is Football.

You [...]

Experts Confirm: Couples Need Date Night

Well, we’ve known it for awhile and every month or so we find more research and more expert opinions confirming the same: Couples need to find time in their schedules for date night, or risk ending up a divorce statistic.

This article from the Evening Tribune is a good one:
“It is not only important, it [...]

7 Great Date Ideas Beginning with G

G is for Green Date Ideas
Which we already discussed awhile ago. Click this link to see our Gorgeously Green Date Ideas list, compiled for us by Cate and Chris at GreenRenters.org
G is for Games

Like, board games. And such. Either hold a game night at home for the two of you or tuck [...]

6 Fruit-and-Flower (4th) Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Well I am completely taken aback to learn that the fourth wedding anniversary traditional symbols are fruit and flowers! I didn’t expect that. I thought after paper, cotton and leather we were certainly starting to head towards some sort of semi-precious something…
Go figure.
Okay, well – when you think about it fruit and flowers [...]

mX Column: Casual Sex? Not Always Casual.

In the age of the casual hook-up, I’d hazard to say most people have had a bonk-buddy up their sleeve at some point for times of need.
It’s a common belief that women, in particular, have difficulty adjusting adapting to a casual sex arrangement.
But it turns out that is not our biggest worry when it comes [...]

mX Column: The Etiquette of Dating

What has happened to manners?
It seems everyone is so busy these days that there is no time for niceties – returning emails, RSVPing to parties and even saying thank you have fallen by the wayside.
When it happens with friends, we can understand, kiss and make up.
In dating, however, bad manners are unforgivable.

I was out one [...]

mX Column: There Is No “Mostly Equal”

NB: This column has been altered slightly from it’s original publication as I have an infinite word count on this blog.

There are many things straight couples take for granted that gay couples have had to fight for.
And on Monday, Eliza Bern’s article in mX sparked even more conversation on the topic.
Bern suggested the [...]

Why We Love, Why We Cheat

In the midst of researching for my new ebook, I came across this great presentation given by Dr. Helen Fisher at the 2006 Ted Conference. We love Dr. Fisher’s research and I don’t know how this particular clip has eluded me for four years now.
In it, she explains the brain chemistry of the stages [...]

Melbourne Giveaway: Bride Magazine Expo Double Passes and Mags!

Hi Melbourne Daters! I have an extra special treat for our readers that are engaged, or are in a wedding party for a close friend that is getting married soon.
My dear friend Jason Grech is the talented fashion designer behind JASONGRECH White – and I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you they are [...]

6 out of 10 People Not Trying Hard Enough

Wow, Daters. Did you know that 6 out of 10 people are unhappy with their relationships? That’s a lot of people. 60% in fact (I should’ve done maths and stuff).
The Daily Mail reported last week that: “More than six out of ten adults in a relationship admit there is a lot they could do [...]

Man-Colds Proven to Exist!

Man-colds do exist!
I knew it! I’ve been saying it all along.

Says the Daily Mail in London:
“Half of men will upgrade a common cold to flu and describe headaches as a migraine to gain maximum sympathy.
They will also moan more than women when suffering a bug or virus.
This is despite the fact [...]

LoveStars Astrology Date Night Review

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I really, truly believe in astrology.
I’ve been scoffed at before for it, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m still a believer. I could not be more of a Pisces if I tried. I’m your typical dreamy (read: flaky), emotional (erratic) romantic (unrealistic) type with an [...]

Delight Your Partner with Inexpensive Nothings

Ahh… whispering sweet nothings is lovely, but handing over a sweet littIe gift to your partner for no reason whatsoever will melt them to a puddle of goo in a second.
As you know, we’re all about relationships with intent here at $30 Date Night. Break your usual routine and make your partner’s day by buying [...]

mX Column: Virtually Together

I’m sitting on a plane to Sydney as I write, on my way to visit my bestie, V.
I don’t spend much time on planes these days, though V does.
He moved to Sydney for work a year ago, while his partner still lives and works in Melbourne.

They fly back and forth as often [...]

5 Gorgeously Green Date Ideas

We’re up to week ‘G’ and in addition to the list of date ideas beginning with ‘G’ I’ll be posting later (when I’ve written it!), the wonderful Cate and Chris from Green Renters have guested today’s post, giving us five great, green, sustainable date ideas for you to try! Challenge yourself to a month’s worth [...]

mX Column: Damn Smug Morning People

I hate morning people. They’re always so freakin’ smug. Me? I am, categorically, not a morning person.
I resent getting out of bed before 9am. It takes me hours to wake up properly and God help you if you try anything smart with me before I’ve had a coffee.
Nothing is more annoying than a chirpy early [...]

9 Fabulous Date Ideas Beginning with F

F is for Ferris Wheel
Ah, the romance of being trapped in a small, swinging compartment with the love of your life, your lips all sticky from fairy floss as you gaze out at the view. This could either be very romantic, or in the case of people like Den – absolutely terrifying. Try and [...]

Using the Mere Exposure Effect to Your Dating Advantage

I wrote in my column a few weeks back about the theory behind Office Romances and why they are so prevalent these days. The idea is that the Mere Exposure Effect dictates your hormones here… the more time you spend around someone, the more attracted you will become to them.
And – obviously – vice [...]

Win a Date Night at The Movies!

Hey Daters! We have a fun giveaway for you. The delightful crew at Sony Pictures have given us 10 x double passes to give away to go see Jennifer Lopez’s new movie The Back Up Plan. It opens in cinemas May 20 and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. What a [...]

mX Column: What Mothers Teach Us About Love

Thank goodness for mothers and their unconditional, all-enveloping love.
I know my mum is the one person in this world who will pick up the phone every time I call, and she’ll be glad to hear from me to boot. I can also depend on her to be the first by my side if I’m unwell [...]

An Interview With HitchedMag.com

Hey readers, as you know we love anything to do with couples, love and marriage that is available as a resource on the interwebs. We sent a few questions off to the founder of HitchedMag.com to see what inspires him and his marriage. The site is online, magazine-style and written by a team of experts [...]

The Better Marriage Blanket

I am still giggling as I write this post from watching the commercial. In short, an American company has come up with the ‘Better Marriage Blanket’ made from the SAME CARBON FABRIC THE MILITARY USES TO PROTECT AGAINST CHEMICAL WEAPONS (I couldn’t make this stuff up, it’s that funny) to stop the odour of farts [...]

mX Column: The Sperm Shortage in Australia

Men once worried that advances in IVF and female independence would render them obsolete.
Of course there are lots of things women need men for but, biologically speaking, sex and babies are the main things.

But it turns out that women do still need men in the babies department.
Sperm donations are at an all-time [...]

6 Exciting Date Ideas Beginning with E

Ooh – we knew there’d be some sticky letters on this Alphabet Dating business of ours… but I didn’t expect one so soon! And to be honest, I was hoping Den would get stuck with them. X, for example, will be a killer. O might be a bit difficult.
But they’re weeks away yet. Let’s [...]