Horseback riding along the beach? Giddy-up!

One of those clear-bottomed cabins in Bora Bora over the water? Sign me up.

2-week Mediterranean cruise? Yes please.

Dinner at a fancy restaurant? Yum!

All great adventures.

But those take time. And a lot of money.

Time and money that most people don't have.

So here are 7 suggestions for you to show your wife some love without breaking the bank.

These are 7 things you can do today.

Each of them takes no money and very little time. Only one of them takes you away from your kids.

(DISCLAIMER: If your wife brings up going on a cruise and you suggest one of these things instead as a suitable substitute, you may want to quickly duck and cover. These aren't meant to be “substitutes.” They're “in-between-stitutes.” As in, these are things to do “in between” events. These are things to do in your “real-world.” You spend way more time “in between” fancy or “big” events than you ever will on cruises or a horse. Don't waste that time just waiting for the next big thing.  Hat tip to Jeff Goins for writing an entire book about this concept!)

Before reading this list though, I want you to promise that you're going to do one of them today.

Deal? Great.

Here you go:

1. Leave a post-it note on her phone that says something you love about her.
2. Send her a text message that says nothing but how much you can't wait to kiss her when you see her next.
3. Write her a hand-written note about 3 ways she makes you happy.
4. Finish some little chore that she's been stressing about.
5. Call or email someone who she misses. Ask that person to schedule a time to get dinner with your wife while you take care of the house and kids. Give them a few options of times that should work. Then ask that person to reach out to your wife to schedule it.
6. Write her a short poem. Keep it simple. Even something like “Roses are red; Violets are Blue; How did I get so lucky to marry you” would suffice. Make it fun or personal.
7. Take a walk with her. And hold hands. There's a power to holding hands. An energy. It's soothing. It connects you. Initiate it.

Simple, right? What's your excuse now?

Let me know which one you did in the comments and how it went!

And leave some other suggestions in the comments while you're at it, will ya!?!

I need all the help I can get!