My husband and I do not usually go all out for Valentine's Day, however, we do attempt to make sure that we take the time to let each other know how much we mean to each other on or around this holiday. Of course, the retail side of Valentine's Day pushes people to go all out and spend a lot of money on your loved one, by purchasing jewelry and other expensive gifts, however, you do not need to spend a lot of money to show how much you love and appreciate someone. Here are some inexpensive Valentine's Day ideas:Bake your loved one their favorite treat. One year, I baked a pan of brownies and used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut them out into hearts.Make your loved one a goodie basket with some of their favorite things in it. My husband loves Little Debbie snack cakes, beef jerky, and chocolate, so one year I made a gift basket with these and his other favorite items.Make a coupon book with favors or date ideas for your loved one. Coupons for a free back rub, a favorite home cooked meal, or lots of other ideas can be printed online. There are a lot of great coupon book templates on Pinterest to use.Make a special dinner for your loved one. Take it a step further, and light a couple of candles for a candle-lit dinner. It could be your loved one's favorite home cooked meal, or something new as a treat.Set aside time for an inexpensive date night. Something simple like a movie and pizza (you could use a free Redbox rental movie code to save on the movie rental) night at home, or you could go out to dinner. Use coupons, groupons, or gift cards to save on dinner out. Sometimes, my husband and I will go to late night Happy Hour at local restaurants like Applebee's which offer half off appetizers after a certain time. We will share a few appetizers and pay only half the regular price.What are your inexpensive Valentine's Day ideas?
My OH and I do not exchange Valentine's gifts as we feel that we do not need a day like that to show each other how much we love each other, and for the fact that money is normally tight after Christmas . We do things like make dinners and do special favors for one another
Other cheap Valentine day gifts: Cheap perfume. It's not the cost — it's the thought which counts. A romance novel. It's the time we celebrate love and a romance book wouldn't be such a bad idea and it won't cost you much. Embroidered photos?
We're one of those couples that go on about how unnecessary these types of days are and they mean nothing.. after all, we make sure to show each other how much we mean to each other every single day. But then the day comes and we surprise each other with something small because we get sucked in by the cuteness I guess lol. I think it's a sweet day.. take away the commercial aspect of it; what's not to love about a day all about love? Cute. But yes, generally speaking.. the pressure to buy is ridiculous.
We never celebrate Valentine's Day as per my husband's principle that every day should be Valentine's Day. But for this year, I am planning something grand. I have booked us into a 5-star hotel for 2 nights and let us see what happens next. My accomplices are my sister and her family. They would invite us to dinner in the hotel (although I would be the one to pay) and after dinner, my husband would surely be surprised that we would be sleeping there.
When it comes to Valentine's day, I grew up with a kind of "trauma" having my school teachers enforcing gift exchange on such day, raffling the name of classmates to learn who you were going to exchange gifts with, which used to be an hypocritical and frustrating experience, many times having to buy a costly present in exchange of something with less value or really ugly or tasteless. Remember that St. Valentin's Day is also touted as to be Day of Love and Friendship. That being said, more than gifts, I used to give Valentin's handmade greetings cards on this day, but actually I don't do it either, whether to friends or my loved one. As for the upcoming Valentin's day, my plans are organizing a romantic dinner at home, making a "mise en scène" to make the terrace look like the intimate area of an expensive restaurant, using special dinnerware and lighting, and preparing for him a gourmet meal. And no, when I said special dinnerware and lighting, I don't mean those Valentin's crafted items for sale around the date, but Fine China I have for special occasions, and soft-light lamps like those used in some restaurants with sidewalk seating.
I'm thinking that after all the hectic holiday stuff, followed by a birthday (in a couple days), we'll be too tired and broke to do anything fancy, ha ha. I'm kidding (well, half kidding), but we'll probably just have a quiet night. I'm thinking we might just make a meal together and pick up some wine. I'm not sure if he has bigger plans in mind, but we're usually on the same page. A steak on the grill is fine with me. I don't need to dine in a fancy restaurant with tons of other people.
I am of the belief that it is the thought that counts, and so inexpensive does not bother me in the least, and in fact it often shows more than something that is expensive. It is just a different mindset, and I think that while everyone may say that they prefer the thought, we know that it is not always the case. I remember one year I received a card that I still have to this day, and frankly that could have been the only gift I ever got.
I hate Valentines day, even during years when I was dating someone at the time. We never made a big fuss out of it, or felt the need to go out in public and show off that we're together. Generally speaking, I just don't want to be out in public anywhere on that day, I get so sick of all the couples who want to put on a "show" for everyone else and make a big spectacle about how much in "love" they are with their current partner. First of all, a good percentage of these people just hurried up and started dating someone a few weeks before the holiday because they dreaded the thought of not having a "date" to spend the day with. They'll be broken up within a few days or weeks after Valentines day. It's just a bunch of people trying to feel smug about themselves and trying to humblebrag about how fortunate they are to be with their significant others. We've usually just stayed in and watched TV together, and enjoyed some (alcoholic) drinks and snacks, and conversation. To be honest, I don't even like hooking up on that day either, because it just feels so corny and contrived, as if were expected to or else.
A homecooked meal or even fast food is a cheap way to celebrate Valentines Day. I think a budget of $25 isn't that bad if you plan on eating out. It's just a matter of budgeting your money and avoiding the expensive restaurants.
If you're still in the first stages of romance, then it's understandable for people to impress their partners. However, if you've reached some level of comfort and trust in your romantic relationship, then there's no need to spend a fortune just to make your special someone feel especially loved. Anything with effort will do. For instance, downloading his/her favorite movies and setting up a mini theatre in your living room or garden so that you can privately view the movies together. A simple candlelit dinner at home with a menu prepared by you would be more than sufficient as well.
Here are my inexpensive Valentine's Day ideas: 1. Write your special someone a letter. My husband loves personalised things like this. He actually loves receiving letters from me back when we were younger. Lol. 2. Create your own couple's shirt. You can draw on a white t-shirt or have it printed directly on it. It's affordable and unique as well. 3. Create a collage of your moments together. Then, you can use that as your Facebook profile picture. 4. Serenade her. Or him, if you're feeling quite courageous and unique. Good luck, guys! And girls!
