To the Couples: buy a massage table.
Massages our incredible for refocusing our minds and bodies. Professionals can be well worth the cost ($35-80/hr); they are skilled at bringing the right kind of attention to the massage. Massage can be a mobile craft, and the industry technology has supported mobility by creating tables, chairs, and other tools. A table built for professional practice should last years.
You can find used professional tables on Craigslist. Do some research about each option to ensure the brand is solid, reviews are good, etc. We found a used Oakworks for $100 about 25 miles away. After some basic research, I learned the price of a new table of similar quality is ~$450. The man selling it told a beautiful story about his recently deceased mother that had been a teacher, award winning photographer, traveler and masseuse. The table has been well kept.
In less than a month, over 4 hrs of massage have occurred in our living area. We live in a small DC apartment - ~580 sqft - and we tuck it between the wall and one of our 2 chairs when not in use. It is out-of-mind until our new Thursday night appointment with each other or when we need to relax. You can pull it out for a 10 minute shoulder touch-up. It is a new type of opportunity to talk about our lives, our jobs, our feelings, while we learn a new skill together (or one of us does while the other learns to relax). Professionals are incredibly knowledgeable and effective, but basic touch, communication, and joined exploration are simple and potent. Do a YouTube search for any technique or area of the body. Start slow and simple. Pure coconut oil is a beautifully versatile lubricant and we are less than 1/5 through the jar, including what we have used for cooking.
Financially, in one month, we have achieved a relative 20-200% return on investment.
Table + Costs = $100 + $10 (oil) + $35 (transport) = ~$145
Massage Hrs x ~Pro Cost = 4 x ~$50 = ~$200
