Try this
- Agree on the maximum cost before suggesting places or purchases, including transport and supplies.
- Choose an option within that limit and make a zero-cost alternative available. Avoid presenting the cheaper plan as a lesser gesture.
A worked example
“Could our next outing be a picnic using what we already have?”
An invented example to adapt, not a real exchange or a script you have to follow.
Before you leave it here
Avoid presenting a higher-cost option as the more caring choice.