Valentine’s Day may be a bit of a commercially overdone holiday, but let’s face it — we still want the romance! Sure, I am speaking mostly for women, but men don’t mind a nice gesture either. But what do you do if your tastes lean a little more toward the champagne size while your budget can barely be stretched for a beer?
Look no further! We’ve put together a list of Valentine’s Day ideas that will make your partner swoon without breaking the bank.
Relocate the Holiday
I know this doesn’t sound like the most romantic gesture, but if your partner is on a budget with you, they will probably be agreeable to the idea. The thing is — restaurants, theaters, and even bowling alleys are packed on the 14th and everything is way overpriced, so what if you changed your celebration to the night after, or the following Friday? Think of how much money you could save buying half-priced flowers, and how much more enjoyable your time would be not wading through crowds. It could be your own couple’s tradition, but be careful how you broach the subject, men. If your gal doesn’t share in your fiscal concerns, you will just come off as cheap!
Eat Dessert First
Instead of splurging on a five-course meal, why not eat dinner in and just go out for a fancy dessert later? Or forgo the formalities altogether and make a five-layer cake at home. The point is to deviate from the normal a bit and do something different than just going out to eat.
Spend an Evening With the Arts
If you live in a city where this is an option, plan an evening of visiting a couple of local art galleries or museums. Most cost little to nothing for admission, and as a bonus, on Valentine’s Day, you can be sure there will be free wine and cheese somewhere!
Picnic Under the Stars
If the weather permits, what could be more romantic than a picnic under the night sky? There are even some pretty cool mobile astronomy apps that help you classify solar systems and planets. And the fun thing about a picnic is that it doesn’t have to be extravagant. But even if you splurge on expensive champagne, it can still be done on the cheap since everything else is free.
Take a Walk Down Memory Lane
This is a personal favorite of mine because it shows your partner how much you have been paying attention and how much you value your time together. Recreate your first date or a very special day you had together by visiting the same locations. And if you want to make it extra romantic, leave a note or small gift with a waiter or under a bench where they can find one at every stop.
Find the Bargains
Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial constantly have great deals on fun activities and nice restaurants. You can plan your date weeks in advance by watching out for the best deals on places you’d both like to go. And we’re not talking dollar-off coupons, either. Most of the time, these price cuts are at least 50% off. Think 80% off a spa day or 60% off dance lessons. Yes, the deals are that good!
Take a Class
If you live in or near a large city, there should be no shortage of opportunities to take couples classes such as ceramics, cooking, or painting. And most of them will offer wine and hors d’oeuvres on special occasions. But of course, if you take a cooking class, you will probably get to eat an entire meal. Most classes like these are fairly low-cost, but you can check one of the coupon sites we just mentioned to get an even better deal.
Take up Geocaching
If you’ve never tried it before, geocaching is definitely way up there on the top of the list of fun and cheap things for couples to do together. It is a real-life treasure hunt using a free app on your phone and your GPS to navigate. This is a great date idea for the adventurous!
Dress for Dinner
Who says you have to go out to get all decked out for dinner? Why not cook an extravagant meal at home that requires you to wear your best duds. Just breaking out the heels or silk tie will make you feel elegant without fighting crowds or maxing out your credit card.
But that’s not the only way to dress up. How about a theme night where you both wear costumes? It can be as fun or sexy as you’d like.
Conclusion
Knowing when to splurge and when to save is all a part of getting out of debt. It’s okay to spend a little extra for holidays if that is where you would like to indulge. Just keep your end goals in mind and learn the balance.
Holidays like Valentine’s Day don’t have to be boring, even on a budget, though. There are tons of things you can do without ever spending a dime!