Giving a Perfect (Cheap) Valentine’s Day

Many people say that Valentine’s day is just a scam to make money, and maybe it is. However, you don’t have to spend mass amounts of money on your valentine for it to be perfect. There are a lot of cheap ideas for people on a budget, especially this year where so many of us are.

The first places where people usually spend a lot of money is flowers. To save money, it helps to really know your neighborhood. Many local florists have beautiful bouquets year-round that are wonderful, even if you want to be classic and get roses. Ask around! If you live anywhere near a cemetery there are likely many flower shops that have bouquets under ten dollars. Just as a reminder, you don’t have to get roses. While it is supposedly the most romantic flower, if the bouquet looks beautiful then it won’t matter. Carnations are rather cheap but are extremely beautiful and work well in bouquets for any occasion.

Price for flowers:  $5 – $8 dollars

The next place people tend to spend large amounts is on going out to eat. People seem to feel obligated to go to the fanciest restaurant and pay top dollar even if the food is subpar. However, there are cheaper and more romantic alternatives. If you are going out on a lunch date for Valentine’s day, it may be appropriate to go on a romantic picnic. Before picking up your date, fill a basket or nice bag with all your favorite foods and a blanket. If you live in an area that has a nice park, going on a picnic is nice for enjoying the sun and watching the clouds. If you happen to live near a beach a picnic could also be very romantic there, especially at sunset. Just make sure to bring a jacket!

If you aren’t into the outdoors, you could have just as much fun inside. Before picking up your date, tell them to get all dressed up as if they were going out to a fancy restaurant. At home, set up some tall candles and a nice dinner table. Make some nice pasta and salad or whatever you like and you have your own 5-star restaurant all to yourself! You can surprise your date with the romantic meal or you could have them cook with you if you think they’d have fun doing so. Dress up nicely, dim the lights, and enjoy each others’ company!

Price for making your own meal: $8 – $12

Dessert can be a fun part of the night for the two of you. Get some cookie dough or brownie mix (something you both like!) and make them together! Get out the old cookie cutters and make shapes that you two find amusing. After baking, take them out and decorate them with icing. Decorate cookies for each other with cute messages or funny pictures and you’ll surely have fun.

Price for making and decorating cookies: $6

After dinner and dessert, you may choose to take your date home. However, if you wish to continue you have many options. What I suggest is that you go into your living room or any room with empty space and take out a CD player. Make your living room into your own personal dance floor. After such a great meal, you’ll likely want to slow dance. Get together your soft sounding, smooth cds and dance until you’re both exhausted. If you don’t have any cds, tune the radio in to a smooth or soft jazz station and enjoy. Slow dancing is very romantic and gives the two of you a nice chance to talk.

Price of slow dancing: FREE

If you want to do all the things listed above, I expect that you’d spend anywhere between $19 and $26. How much you spend all depends on the choices you make and how much you want to do. However, as you can see, there are cheap and romantic alternatives to all the expensive things correlated with Valentine’s day. I hope that you all enjoy your holiday.