SitterCity and Restaurant.Com Make Going Out a Little Easier & More Affordable

Tech Savvy Daddy and I are the worst about hiring a sitter for a night out. For the longest time our high school sitters told us that we needed to go out more because they wanted to babysit at night. Now these great sitters who are fabulous at handling the nighttime routine for Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer will be graduating in the spring and heading off to college.

Finding someone to replace our 2 über-sitters is no easy task. Neighbors hoarde the names of their sitters and I don’t have the time or to interview and hold playdates to see who clicks with our kids. In fact, it seems quite daunting and also an expensive luxury to hire a sitter for a date night in this economy even though my relationship with my husband should be number one. Our relationship, and the time we spend together, has a direct effect on our ability to parent and be patient with each other. Making our relationship a priority helps set a good example for the relationships for the relationships that our children will eventually have. Gulp!

I finally took advantage of the Date Night Package I won at BlogHer’s Mommy Needs a Cocktail Party courtesy of SitterCity way back when in August. SitterCity gave me a full year’s membership to their fabulous site, giving me access to their trusted online sitter network that makes it fast, safe and simple to find a fabulous sitter. I love that SitterCity puts the best local sitters (ages 17 and up) at my fingertips and uses a four-step screening process.

When I’ve looked for a sitter, I appreciate the detailed sitter profiles that feature background checks, reviews, from other parents, and references. SitterCity also provides days and times when the sitter is available, a photo, list of training and certifications, among other things that help to reduce fears about the stranger that I’m entrusting my children to. I just need to take the next step and hire one of the many sitters whose qualifications are stellar so we can enjoy a night out.

Being a super foodie, our date night will inevitably involve a fabulous restaurant with delectable food. Dining out can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be with Restaurant.com. We are longtime Restaurant.com fans because the site allows you to purchase gift certificates to participating restaurants for a fraction of their face value. For example, a $10 gift certificate are commonly $4, $25 gift certificates range from $10-15 or a $50 gift certificate is often $20. Some participating restaurants also offer $100 gift certificates for $40.

I love Restaurant.com because it makes dining out at our favorite restaurants that we would frequent anyways more affordable. I have found that some restaurants do place minimum purchase requirements and restrict the gift certificates to be used on food only, rather than beverages. Also restaurants can restrict the number of gift certificates for each value amount are sold each month but Restaurant.com helps families stretch dining dollars when it helps to save. Just remember to calculate the tip based on the total amount before using your Restaurant.com gift certificate!

Thanks to SitterCity we are enjoying more date nights because we have found great sitters who we can pay with the savings we are enjoying from Restaurant.com!

Other great articles to read:

• Your relationship with your spouse should be number one, not your kids….
• The Recession: How It Changed Relationships As We Know Them (Forever)
• 12 Simple Tips For Relationship Bliss

This post was inspired by the February Yahoo MotherBoard topic, Setting a Good Relationship Example. To read what the moms of Yahoo are saying about kids, careers, and balancing the two, visit their Yodeling Mamas blog for a glimpse into their digital and domestic lives.

I won a Date Night Package courtesy of SitterCity which included a subscription to SitterCity and a Restaurant.com gift certificate. I was not obligated to write about either service, nor was I paid to do so.