$11.00 each for dinner and a movie can hardly be beat!

Recession Mama: We have a fancy new outdoor mall in town. You know the type, with a winding European-looking cobblestone street and a big fountain with Vegas-like jets that rise and fall to Sinatra music.

They had a girls' night promotion recently, and I stopped by with a girlfriend to check it out. They gave each of us a coupon book, and when I got home, I saw some pretty good deals included there. I told my husband we needed to try a cheap date night at the mall. We got a babysitter, through our neighborhood babysitting co-op, and we went last night. We spent $12 total at a diner and had a great, casual dinner on the patio (buy-one-get-one-free burgers -- I had California Chicken with feta cheese, avocado, and balsamic vinegar and he had a turkey burger), then headed over to the on-site movie theater. We used passes I had purchased on eBay for $5.00 each. There were coupons in the book for a free small popcorn and a free small drink. We liked our movie ("Away We Go") and got a refill of the soda on our way out.

$11.00 each for dinner and a movie can hardly be beat, although there is a second-run movie theater nearby that runs a Wednesday promotion for two tickets, two drinks, and two popcorns for 10 bucks. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable adult evening -- but we didn't forget about the kids. I brought home the leftover popcorn to pack in their camp lunches ...

A former state deputy attorney general and current stay-at-home mom, Recession Mama Michele Ashamalla has three kids and ten years of experience stretching one salary to cover the necessities and more. She's all about saving money whenever you can, so you have it to spend on whatever you want!