DEAR ABBY: I was laid off from work, but my husband, "Keith," works full-time in a factory. We live with his parents. By the time Keith gets home from work and gets cleaned up, it's time to eat dinner. Immediately afterward, we always follow the same routine: We go in our bedroom and he goes on the computer to play video games, while I sit and watch TV and play on my phone.
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We love each other and rarely disagree about things, but this isn't fun for me. I have told Keith I feel ignored and I'd love to do something with him. He says because our town is smallish, there's not a lot to do that doesn't cost money.
Keith is into the video games, so much so that when we first met, he'd sit in his bedroom and play for hours on end. We're planning a vacation in the next month or so, so it's not like we do nothing at all. But I don't know how to improve our situation. -- CALLING FOR HELP IN KOKOMO, IND.
DEAR CALLING FOR HELP: After a hard day's work, your husband may just want to sit down and relax. But that doesn't mean you couldn't schedule some activity together on a weekend -- hiking, skating, kayaking, going to an art show or seeing what's scheduled at the convention center. You could also make a date with other young married couples, or occasionally schedule a girls' night out with some of your female friends.
I agree that it's important for you and your husband not to get into a rut. That's why you need to budget so you can get out and have some fun together a few times a month.