Romance on a Budget
Valentine’s Day is often synonymous with lush velvety looking red roses and spending big bucks on your sweetie. You’re blinded by advertisements touting the latest luxury jewelry, over-priced flowers, and exquisite five star dining. You can sometimes feel pressure from this single day that is supposed to symbolize and convey your emotion of love to your sweetheart. Expressing your love can be shown with frugal abundance and still create heartfelt memories.
You may not do anything at all because you feel that you can’t afford it. Don’t skip the holiday completely. The following are some traditional ideas and then some frugal alternative tips for inexpensive and thoughtful ways to express that you care without completely emptying your wallet.
Romantic movies
Movies are popular on Valentine’s Day. There isn’t any doubt that this idea rates highly on the snuggle meter.
The following are some movie suggestions:
Sleepless in Seattle
Message in a Bottle
Bridges of Madison County
City of Angels
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Somehere in Time
As Good As IT Gets
Jerry Maquire
Something’s Gotta Give
Amelie
Traditional: Big night out at the theater with the works. Cha-ching
Creatively Frugal: Select a nice romantic comedy for your sweetie. Pop some popcorn, pour your favorite beverage of choice, and light a fire if you’re able to or at least some candles. It’s all about the ambience. You both can cuddle up on the couch or have blankets and pillows out on the floor.
Confectionary Treats
Hard to imagine Valentine’s Day without candy. The holiday is notorious for chocolates. They’re definitely decadent and these treats have been acclaimed to have an aphrodisiac effect. It’s difficult to pass up this romantic suggestion.
Traditional: Godiva chocolates or satin and velvet heart shaped box of chocolates. Oohlala.
Creatively Frugal: Bulk candy or homemade candy, baked goods, or just coffee and a dessert at a quiet cafe.
Here are two great chocolate creations to make yourself.
Chocolate Pretzels
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=104975
Chocolate Popcorn
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=19087
Beautiful Bouquets
Saying “I love you” with flowers can make a lasting impression.
Traditional: A dozen roses with a short lifespan and hefty price. You think you’re smart when you select multi-colored or any color besides red roses, but oops what about all those rose flower meanings? Are you accurately describing your feelings?
Creatively Frugal: Try a single bulb to force such as an amaryllis or tulip, a collection of seed packets for spring planting, or one single flower with the recipient’s favorite hot beverage in the morning.
Festive Feast
A romantic night out can be lovely. You can have reservations made in advance and can get gussied up for an enjoyable evening. Planning the perfect setting complete with candles, wine, and excellent service is so romantic.
Traditional: Expensive restaurant out on the town. The problem is that everyone else has the same idea. You’ll often run into staff that is rushed or crowded parking lots and restaurants. This suggestion has the best of intentions, but lacks privacy and could easily prove to be the least romantic.
Creatively Frugal: Valentine’s Day breakfast versus dinner out or breakfast in bed. So many small details can be created with serving a meal at home. It provides the feeling of appreciation.
You can light small votice candles, use favorite glasses, play soft music, and use cloth napkins. The meal itself doesn’t need to be fancy. Use your creativity. If you don’t have a tray, use a folded tablecloth or a nice basket. By all means, don’t forget to clean up!
Penned Sentiments
Greeting cards are an excellent choice to show you care. There are endless varieties of romance cards. A card is well-received.
Traditional: The perfect card for your valentine. You look through aisles and rows of costly greeting cards and spend hours trying to find the perfect one. Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-giving holiday and that is reflected in the stores. In the mad rush to grab a card and get it delivered, you just sign it “with love”.
Creatively Frugal: Try love coupons, homemade card, handwritten letter, or cut out cartoons from newspaper and add a few words to it. It’s so much more sincere in your own words from your heart. It’s all about the presentation. Don’t just toss your handwritten sentiment at your love.
Delightful Pampering
Cupid’s arrow is sure to hit when you give your love a day of overindulgence. Being carefree is so appealing.
Traditional: Spending a ton of cash on a spa day gift certificate for your sweetie.
Creatively Frugal: Make a comfort box. In the box add a cd, scented lotions, bubblebath, hairbrush, candles, tea, cocoa, coffee, book, bookmark, and give a massage from you.
As you can see, creating loving and memorable moments doesn’t have to carry exorbitant prices. It’s a day of expressing your affection and doesn’t have to break the bank. Traditional romance can be nice, but it is often overrated. Being creatively frugal is a gift of the heart. Give your loved one the gift of your time and thoughtfulness.
If you’re desperate and reading this, I’ll leave you with a small list of last minute ideas:
Dance to a slow song.
Take a walk and hold hands.
Take a drive and tell your love your feelings from your heart.
Go to a local playground and play on the swings.
Read to your sweetie or recite a romantic song.
Add red to the day with red cookies, clothing, candles, lipstick, red fruit, etc.
Sit and talk and reminisce and talk about your dreams together.
Play a board game or assemble a puzzle together.
Watch the sunrise or sunset together.
Find a trophy at the thrift store to give.
Place notes in hidden places in the house for them to find. It’s extra special when they dont find them all and come across them after the holiday is over.
Frame a picture of the two of you or a place you both have enjoyed together, or make a collage of sentimental tokens collected during your relationship.
Balloons are nice gift. Keep in mind that you can tuck a note inside a latex balloon before filling it or attach an item to a balloon.
Happy Valentine’s Day and here’s wishing that love fills the air as you celebrate with your dearest.
As seen on Dr Laura http://www.drlaura.com/sah/budget.html?mode=view&tile=1&id=11194
photo by butterflysha
Posted by Sara Noel
on January 27 2005. Filed under Featured, Frugal & simple living, Frugal Holidays.Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook
One of my favorites oner the years was a note slipped between a sandwich and the container in a boxed lunch.
1My DH is a sender of flowers. I love them, but hate to even thing about what he has paid for them. The past two years however, he has picked up the flowers at Sam’s Club and bought a really nice vase that I have kept for him to put them in. Makes me feel much better about receiving them.
2on valentines day our money was tight. my dh works 3rd shift & i sent a card in his lunch box & he was tickled pink!!
3I have made the chocolate pretzels but never thought of chocolate popcorn.
4These are great ideas. You could implement these ideas anytime you want to show that someone special how much you love them, not just on Valentine’s Day.
5[...] one would turn up.”Really strapped for funds? You can still give flowers, according to Sara Noel at Frugal Village. “Try a single bulb to force such as an amaryllis or tulip, a collection of seed packets for spring [...]
6Wonderful article. What’s “expected” or “traditional” (ie. roses, chocolates and a fancy dinner) is so boring to me (not to mention over the top expensive!). Thank you for such great ideas of romance that are creative!
7My hb amd I have done the in home dates. Its very inexpensive especially if you have kids. What we do is after the kids go to bed. We take out a very special dessert that I make ahead of time and we light candles. I open some wine and we cuddle on the floor with blankets and pillows watching a “chick flick” has hb will say on netflix live. Costs maybe $10 depending on the wine on sale and kind of dessert I make.
8