Did you know it’s only 9 days until Valentine’s Day? Oh-my-god!! Of course you did, what with Valentine’s being perhaps the most hyped romantic event of the year. In fact, there’s every chance that you are acutely aware of the impending stress and last minute kerfuffle. Whoops, I meant, overload of romantic joy. Unfortunately, Valentine’s just happens to come right after the biggest money sucking celebration of the year. Whilst most of us would agree its money well spent, it does often leave us with little more than cobwebs in our pockets. Don’t fret; we’re here to help you make this the most fantastically frugal valentine’s yet! Just follow these 5 tips for Valentine’s Day on a budget.
Ideas For Valentine’s Day on A Budget
Make your own Valentine’s Day gifts
Probably the most obvious idea but also one of the best ways to save money this valentine’s is to make your own gifts. Many of the traditional valentine’s presents can be homemade without too much difficulty with chocolates being the simplest and most effect. Play to your strengths here so if you’re a crafty type then why not knit them something, an artist? Get painting. Cook? Get baking. And if you’re not especially handy at anything, well you can always brush up by following how-to videos on YouTube or checking out dedicated make websites such as Wikihow or Makezine. Not only will DIY Valentine’s gifts save you a packet but it’s a great opportunity to get the kids involved and make it a fun filled activity for all of you.
Eat In For Valentine’s Day
It is traditional to go out for a romantic meal on Valentine’s night and whilst this might be an enjoyable night out it’s often one of the most expensive parts of the occasion. You can save yourself a small fortune by staying in, lighting some candles, grabbing a cheap bottle of Wine from the local supermarket, dimming the lights and sticking on a Barry White CD. For the meal itself you can try beef and mushroom bolognese or find Valentine’s Day food ideas on Pinterest and do all the cooking yourself or alternatively pick up a meal pack for a tasty, hassle free meal under $10. Nothing says you can’t dress up a bit though so check out Valentine’s Day fashion for moms.
Change the date
This Valentine’s Day on A Budget tip may go down as treason in the eyes of diehard Valentine’s goers but changing your valentine’s celebration to another date brings with it many benefits. Firstly, by opening up any day of the week you avoid the masses valentine’s naturally attracts making the day feel all the more special and unique to you, this could really take your partner off guard and add the element of surprise that the seasonality of this event usually diminishes. Not only that but you’ll avoid the higher prices you may expect to pay on Valentine’s night and can allow you to take advantage of special daily deals that might not otherwise be available.
Set a price limit for Valentine’s Day Gifts
If you and your partner do decide that you’re going to buy each other a gift then be sensible and set a price limit that your both comfortable with. Money saved here can be better spent elsewhere to the benefit of the whole family, be it paying off argument causing debt, funding a day out with the kids or just being put in to savings; there are plenty of sensible if not quite so romantic places for that money to go.
Enjoy a free and romantic evening
Rather than go out to a restaurant or eat in this valentine’s why not go out and enjoy one of life’s free treats and save in the process. There are countless free days and nights out you can enjoy that could well be all the more romantic than a night spent in a cramped restaurant surrounded by other, similarly unimaginative valentine’s couples. Every couple needs a little alone time- if you are parents you might want to refer to this list of ways to find alone time.
Great examples of fun, free and romantic activities include a camping trip in a field, romantic walk by the sea, star gazing on a moonlit hillside or if your fortunate enough to know a relative who owns a holiday home in another state perhaps even a couple of nights in another location to really max out the romance factor whilst keeping the purse strings tightly close. There are even fun Valentine’s Day date ideas that don’t require leaving the house- I bet you can think of a few if you remember back to when you first dated and recreate some of that romance.
Conclusion
However you choose to spend this Valentine’s Day, you can be sure that romance can still blossom, no matter what your budget – you just have to think outside the box. You might enjoy these creative ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts. What are your best stories about or tips for Valentine’s Day on a budget?