Have you ever heard the expression “Doing well by doing good?” It’s a phrase that’s attributed to Benjamin Franklin and means that a company or person can succeed by doing the right things, not just for their personal gain, but for the community. I’ve recently heard the phrase flipped to “Doing good by doing well.” That means that the right thing to do for the greater good of the community is to do well for yourself. And while I’m going to tell you which philosophy you should believe in a macro sense, I am going to tell you that you can do good by doing well when it comes to planning your dates! You can plan great dates that will bring you closer with your partner that will do good for the planet, too! Here are three!
Volunteer together
I love the idea of turning a date into community service. Maybe you two can canvas for a candidate you both believe in. Or spend the afternoon cleaning up the creek in your neighborhood. It would be really cool to have a standing weekly date where you volunteer at a school together. Afterwards, you can grab coffee and discuss your experiences. Giving back to your community can mean a shared experience and lots of memories for your relationship!
Stay in and donate the saved money
Giving to charity is a really meaningful way to make impact. But, I get that sometimes it’s difficult to feel like you have the extra cash to spend on charity. My suggestion is to find it. Figure out how much you would normally spend on a night out. Factor in your Uber rides, the dinner, movie tickets, ice cream and whatever else you might spend your dollars on. And instead of a night out, plan a night in where you cook food and watch a movie. Total up how much you spend on groceries, subtract that from the typical date costs and there you go! A little chunk of change to donate! Figure out where you two want to donate and make a donation in both of your names.
Plant a garden
Plants are an important part of our ecosystem and make the air we breathe nice and clean. Not to mention, they’re pretty to look at! Take an afternoon and head to a home and garden store. Find a place with a staff that’s eager to help because you want to pick the perfect plants for your garden. For example, if you live in California like me, you want plants that don’t need much water since we’re in a major drought. Once you find winners, head back home and get them in the ground. It’ll be fun to be out in the sunshine with your boo! And you’ll have something gorgeous to remind you of your amazing day every time you look out your window!
There you go! Three days that will be fun for you, good for your relationship and great for the world!
