Written by Guest Author: Tara Merry
Valentine’s Day can often be a big source of stress, particularly because our credit cards are still recovering from Christmas. Sometimes you simply cannot afford to spend as much as you would like on your partner. However this doesn’t mean you can’t show her how special she is.
Here are a few tips on how to do Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank:
1) Flowers
Red roses are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, which is why the cost of a single red rose can skyrocket around the 14th of February. There is an easy way to combat this extra expenditure.
Don’t buy roses
Buy her a small bouquet of her favorite flowers. If you don’t know her favorite flowers then opt to buy flowers in her favorite color. Not only will this gesture cost you a lot less but it will also win you brownie points as she will appreciate the sentiment a lot more.
2) Wine Glasses
A nice wine will always be appreciated. But sometimes it’s hard to justify spending so much money on something that will be gone within an hour. Instead buy a cheaper bottle of wine and look at investing in a pair of personalised wine glasses from a website like Etsy.
Not only will she appreciate a gift that she can use more than once, but every time she goes into her cupboards she will have a sweet reminder of you.
3) Rent or Netflix her Favorite TV Show
Spend Valentine’s Day curled up on the couch watching a marathon of her favorite television show. Renting her favorite show gives the two of you a chance to spend a lot of time together, as watching an entire season’s DVD will take at least three hours. There is the added bonus that you will impress her with both your knowledge of her favorite shows and your willingness to watch them with her.
4) Make Cards Together
Valentine’s cards can be expensive; you are essentially spending $5-$10 on a piece of heart shaped paper covered in glitter. So instead of buying her a card that will be quickly forgotten, buy some arts and crafts supplies and spend the afternoon having fun making cards for each other.
To make it extra special print off some romantic and silly phrases and work together to decide which messages will make their way to the center of your cards.
5) Dedicate a Song
This is sweet because with the use of iPods and the internet, calling the radio to dedicate songs isn’t as popular as it used to be. Think about when she is most likely to be listening to the radio. Perhaps on her drive home from work or when she’s working out at the gym. Call her radio station and dedicate a love song to her. As long as the station isn’t running a competition it shouldn’t be hard to get through to make a request.
6) Go see a movie BUT…
Seeing a movie isn’t a great expense, it’s the little extras that really bump the price up, such as drinks, dinner or popcorn. So organise to see a movie you have both been looking forward to BUT have a romantic meal at home planned afterwards. This way you will resist the temptation to spend extra while still being able to take your lover out for Valentine’s Day.
7) Pizza
‘I know this is cheesy, but I love you…’ You don’t need to go all out for a Valentine’s dinner. Instead order a cheese pizza and have the chef decorate it with a heart made of pepperoni. If you’re having a hard time finding a pizza place that will modify a pizza for you then you can make the pizza yourself, complete with her favourite toppings and an edible love heart.
Not only is this cheaper than an extravagant meal it is also something that she will be able to brag to her friends about.
8) Buy after Christmas
This tip is a little late for this year, but it is something to keep in mind for future a Valentine’s Day. In the days after Christmas the sales are amazing. You can easily find gifts for your girl at discounted price if you shop early enough. Plus you don’t have the added stress of waiting for the last minute to find a gift.
