Romance is definitely a big part of sexual health. Having a close, connected relationship with your partner is certainly an important ingredient in having a satisfying sexual life. Unfortunately, too often married couples, especially in this economy, put off date night because of the cost of dinner, the movies or whatever you and your partner enjoy. But there are plenty of ways you can create a romantic date without spending a lot of money. This week, I decided to give you ideas for low-cost dates.

Keep in mind that spending time together learning about one another and enjoying each other's company is the goal of a good date. The best way to make cheap dates successful is to have fun, be creative and flexible. Choose different ideas each week to add variety.

Stay in together. Choosing not to spend an evening at home can be fun. Use some of the following ideas to make your evening romantic:

• Visit the library and rent some classic romantic movies to watch together
• Each choose one movie - you choose one you think he will like and he chooses one he thinks you will like
• Stay in and give each other massages
• Cook for each other. You each get to choose a favorite food and the other must cook it.
• Have game night. Play Monopoly, Uno, Life, Scrabble
• Play video games
• Play Twenty-Questions to get to know one another better
• Create an indoor picnic
• Get plain white tee-shirts, markers and fabric paint and make each other a tee-shirt

Go outdoors. Just as much fun as staying in for the evening is getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. The following are some ideas for outdoor dates:

• Visit an apple or fruit orchard and pick fruit. Once you are done, research some recipes and spend an evening at home cooking and baking.
• Go on a hike. Be prepared with a bottle of wine and a picnic to relax together at the end of the trail.
• Take a blanket and a bottle of wine and go star gazing at night
• Take a bike ride together
•  Check out the local paper on a Saturday morning for Yard Sales or visit a flea market and search for the perfect gift for each other
• Wash both cars together                             
• Play outdoor games such as croquet or Frisbee
• Go for a scavenger hunt. Each person makes up a list of ten items for the other to find on a walk through the park or your neighborhood

Going out on the town. Even if you are short on cash, there are still plenty of ways to go out on the town. The following ideas are inexpensive ideas for going out:

• Check for a roller skating rink and go roller skating
• Go bowling
•  Find a local winery or brewery and go for a tour
• If you live in a city, call local playhouses to find out if they sell tickets to a dress rehearsal, which will normally be much less expensive than the actual performance
• Check out local high schools and colleges to see what plays or shows are coming up
• Look in your paper for local carnivals, street fairs or festivals
• Use sites such as Restaurant.com for coupons (you may need to go out on a night other than the weekend)
• Attend amateur nights or open-mic nights. These can be music or comedy.
• Attend a minor-league baseball game
• Visit museums or art galleries. Check to see if there are "discount" days

Keeping variety alive helps to keep your dates interesting, even if they don't cost a thing. The following ideas are ways to create a bond together by doing lots of different things together: