Diamonds, roses, chocolates, oh my! If you celebrate Valentine’s Day the way retailers suggest, you could spend a fortune in just one day.
With spending messages everywhere, it’s easy to think you need to buy something extravagant to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Shrinking household incomes, for example, are taking a lot of people back to basics for many things, including special occasions.
Can you celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget? Absolutely. The point of the day is to express love and affection for those you care about, not racking up large bills to prove your love. Here are some low or no cost ideas to ponder. Also, add your own low-cost gift ideas in the comments section.
Visit a natural place you love-
Perhaps there’s a special place you find comforting, restful or beautiful. Simply being there makes you feel good. You could go there and take a walk by yourself, savoring the atmosphere. Or, share it with a loved one by asking them to go you to learn why you enjoy it so much.
Relax in a bath full of bubbles-
Many of us are so busy we’ve forgotten how luxurious and relaxing a bubble bath can be. If you have fancy products to use, great, but if you don't most bath wash products can be used to make a bubble bath and even dish soap will do if there’s nothing else. The pleasure isn’t in the products, it’s in enjoying and relaxing in a warm tub to give your body and mind a nice break from daily stress and aggravation. (No, you don’t have to just do this alone.)
Have a romantic movie night…at home-
For some, escalating costs have attached a high price tag to a simple night at the movies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a romantic movie night. Many public libraries have great classic movies available at no charge. DVD kiosks in many communities offer rentals for as little as one dollar a night. Your own movie collection likely has some favorites worth seeing again, or perhaps some friends would enjoy sharing or swapping some favorites for the occasion.
Use the food in your fridge…in a new way-
Not interested in spending a fortune on one dinner? Look for creative ways to use items already on hand. Leftovers or fresh ingredients used to make a heart shaped pizza would be fun, as would putting items together for a picnic, even if the meal has to be indoors due to winter weather. Some simple touches to a regular meal, such as a special dessert, could also make the occasion festive.
Act (and spend) like a kid-
Instead of fancy cards and flowers, why not check out the inexpensive cards available for kids to give to each other? Now available in a wide variety of styles and message themes, the cards are really cute and bring back memories of a simpler time. Often the places selling them will also have really inexpensive gimmicky items nearby – for kids to get with their allowance – and there’s plenty of big kids who would get a thrill out of those items too. If you’re really into the kid theme you could also consider spending time playing games at a playground, playing home board games, or whatever comes into your imagination.
Take it offline-
In a world dominated by digital communication the person who uses hand written notes really stands out. Consider writing out a list of all the reasons you care for your loved one. Give hand written love cards instead of email or text messages. Best of all, a tangible, hand written item will be a treasure the person can revisit many times.
Wait until Feb. 15 to celebrate-
If your idea of Valentine’s Day is a fancy heart-shaped box of chocolates, or perhaps a fluffy stuffed animal, or any other product that’s especially made for Valentine’s Day, there’s a way to satisfy your need while spending a lot less. Most businesses mark these products down to half price or less on Feb. 15. Just schedule your celebration a day later than everyone else and you can save a lot of money. Or, if you’re a planner, just get what you need a year ahead of time. Valentine’s items in some stores will eventually go as low as 10 percent of the original price. If you have room to store items, and the patience, you can get a lot of goodies for little money.
Hopefully this has sparked some ideas or reminded you of things you’ve done in the past to make the day special without breaking the bank. Would you care to share with us? We would love to hear from you.
Hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with joy, love and a lot of laughter.