Save Money on a Date Night In!

12/17/2012

For many parents, a date night out can be next to impossible for several reasons; the big expense of it all, finding a sitter and sometimes even finding friends that can also afford to go out and find a sitter all in one night!

I was recently asked by a local meal preparation business (Simply Supper) in Edmonton, AB to try out their new fondue package.  As a huge fan of fondue, I immediately agreed!  I love going to out our local fondue restaurant, but it is definitely expensive ($40+ per person, plus drinks, gratuities, a babysitter etc!)  Finding another couple that wants to spend well over $100 for a few hours out is also challenging.

Simply Supper asked me to invite over 2 other couples and try out their fondue package to see what we thought.  They wanted our feedback on the amount of food, quality, taste, preperation and instructions provided.  They charge $120 for a package that should feed 6 adults and includes Cheese fondue (frozen) with bread (frozen) and apples (fresh), broth fondue (frozen) with scallops, shrimp, beef, chicken and marinated pork tenderloin (all frozen) plus fresh carrots and potato and a chocolate brownie that you need to bake, for dessert.  It was tons of food for the 6 of us!  In fact, when I buy this package in the future, I would probably add a few things like an extra cheese fondue, some more bread and veggies for the cheese and maybe a salad and have this dinner for at least 8 adults.

I just had to lay out the food that was included on my own dishes…

I set the table the morning of with the help of my 4 year old!

 The package comes with 4 dips to dip your meat into, plus fresh veggies & fruit for both & cheese fondues

This is the brownie dessert!  So delicious!  I added homemade fudge sauce with vanilla bean ice cream.  I didn’t miss the usual chocolate fondue at all!

Everyone loved the meal!  We had a neighborhood sitter come and watch our 5 kids in my basement and each gave her $15, so she made $45 for 3 hours while watching a movie with the kids.  Each of the couples brought a bottle of wine, saving big time on what we would have paid in a restaurant.  We got to spend 3 glorious enjoying adult company and fondue!

The whole experience made me think about doing more date nights in with friends, rather than the stress of lining of several babysitters, meeting at a restaurant, spending lots of money on high priced food & drinks and then rushing home to relieve the sitter before another hour elapses!

Obviously, not everyone has a Simply Supper they can order this amazing meal from (with nearly zero prep time!) but there are lots of options for helping a busy mom with a dinner party.  I would highly recommend trying a date night in like this.  I personally do love to cook & entertain, but for a lot of moms, it is either too challenging with little ones or overwhelming for the non cook!  Find a great place to get take out from and all split the costs.  Everyone can bring a bottle of wine and a sitter can be shared.  Voila – you have a super fun date night in!

Learn more about Simply Supper on their website, follow them on twitter and like them on facbeook