Your lives are crazy. Married with kids has a ton of advantages, but even more work. The clock never stops, but sometimes you both just want to say “Enough!” and lie back while your butler makes it all go away. Not likely? You might be surprised.

When you’re Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, deciding to “make some time for mom and dad” isn’t too hard. You just let the live-in nannies know you’ll be gone for a few days, hop on your private jet, and wing it to Italy where your good friend George has generously offered the use of his palatial palazzo (the key is under the mat). It’s nice to be rich and famous.

Why can’t I be famous just once?

But what if you’re merely average? A simple Jane or Joe who lives in a world of tanking stock markets, shrinking savings, and gas prices rocketing directly to the moon. Even if you had the cash you don’t have the time. Gramps and Gran can’t handle the kids for more than a day so your freedom is limited. You could throw up your hands, admit your life sucks, and hit the video store.

Or you could try something else.

A top-line vacation to Hawaii would set you back several thousand dollars and take a week or more of time but, if you can afford to spend up to $500 for a super-fantabulous indulgence for just the two of you, there’s no reason you can’t share an experience that will redefine the word “memorable.” All you need is a little planning, a sense of adventure, and a desire to have some fun.

5 Super-cool Mom & Dad Splurges

1. A picnic, with a twist – With a simple phone call, you can arrange an event the Great Gatsby would be proud to attend. Hiring a private chef is easy these days and most are more than ready to set up, and host, a fantastic picnic for two. Pick your location, arrive on time, and enjoy the pampering. When you’re done you walk away knowing everything is taken care of. A perfect picnic.
2. Drive-in movies, first class – Most cities still have at least one drive-in movie theatre within a couple hours drive. Hire a limo to drive you to the movie, snack on wine and appetizers while you ride, and arrange for the driver to set up chairs in the field so you can enjoy an open-air movie under the stars. When your eyes start to droop, retire to the comforts of your upholstered chariot and snuggle together in back while your driver returns you home safe and sound.
3. Visit a new restaurant, by airplane – There was a time that air travel was considered upper class and fancy. The indignities we endure these days are a modern-day crime, however, if you book last minute flights to any city less than an hour’s flight away you can probably get affordable round trip tickets for two that leave and return the very same day. You won’t need luggage, making security a breeze, and if you fly out that afternoon you can have dinner at a groovin’ restaurant and be back in your own bed that night. An unforgettable experience and a heck of a great story to tell.
4. After-hours anything – Going to the museum is one thing but calling ahead and arranging to come in after-hours makes you feel like a superstar. Most places are more than willing to open up for a private visit if you’re willing to pay a fee. You could hit a winery, maybe an antique store, or even an art gallery. VIP treatment and you don’t have to be freaky like Michael Jackson to get it.
5. Best hotel room ever – When you have a budget of $500 to blow on lodging for one night, you can get yourself a pretty amazing room. By staying in your own town you can skip the luggage and arrive unencumbered, ready to experience the exhausted-parent luxury of spending the night in a room you don’t have to clean the next day. It’s as close to heaven as some of us may ever be.

Going big on a budget is easier than you think. If you plan ahead and get creative you might even be able to pull it off a few times a year without breaking the bank or even abandoning the kids for too long (no matter how much they might deserve it).