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Doing Valentine’s Day on a Budget

Doing Valentine’s Day on a Budget

Valentine’s Day is on Monday and for those of us in relationships, it’s a day that can easily ruin your entire February budget. In fact, for many people it’s the most expensive day of the year as they express their love for their significant other by spending big dollars.

Dollar Heart

Valentine's Day isn't all about spending money!

But that’s not what Frugal February is all about! We’re trying to save money, not spend it! So with that in mind, we asked our readers via Twitter and Facebook for their favorite ways to save money on Valentine’s Day and here are a couple of the best responses:

From Lindsay (@_TheTraveller_): “About 10-15 of my friends and I get together and cook up a feast and have drinks every year. Couples or single, it’s so much fun! No stupid Valentine’s Day pressure.”

From Jackie (@letssitoutside): “Kisses, lots of kisses. :)”

From @BackpackerBoy (after initially suggesting that the two of us should break up in order to save money on Valentine’s Day!): “Ok ok, how about a romantic picnic (won’t work in the rainy UK though!) – see, I do have a heart, honest!”

Food seemed to be a common theme among all the responses and if we followed all the advice we received, we’d probably need to spend extra time at the gym before traveling! After a lot of online research, we’ve come up with the best 5 ideas for having a frugal Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day MealMake a home-cooked meal

Following up from Lindsay’s tip, our number one suggestion for a frugal Valentine’s Day is to prepare a romantic dinner from two at home. You’re saving money, you’re avoiding the crazy Valentine’s Day crowds and most importantly you get to enjoy each other’s company and create a lovely meal together. Win-win-win!

Valentine's Day CardMake your own Valentine’s Day card

A handmade Valentine’s Day card is much more romantic than buying one of those mass-produced and overpriced greeting cards. If you’re not artistic, a printable Valentine’s Day card is another option and sites such as this one allow you to choose your design and personalize the text. Take it a step further and put ‘love coupons’ inside the card redeemable for hugs, shoulder rubs, movie nights or whatever your imagination can think of
*wink-wink*.

Handmade Gift BoxBuy a thoughtful gift

If your loved one MUST receive a gift, avoid the typical presents such as jewelry and come up with something much more meaningful. Buy a pretty box and fill it with your partner’s favorite things – chocolate, DVDs/CDs, books, wine, candles, etc. Not only will they love your gift, you would have also made a decent saving!

Holding HandsSpend time with each other!

We’re all travelers and know that the value of experiences far outweighs the value of material possessions. It doesn’t matter what you do, just spend some quality alone time with each other and be sure to find time for plenty of cuddles and kisses (as Jackie suggested!). If you want to take it a step further, take a day off from work and really make the most of your 24 hours together!

Ignore Valentine’s Day!

If you’re a Valentine’s Day Grinch and think of it as over-commercialized nonsense, then just ignore it and look forward to the year ahead instead – you’ll save plenty! Just make sure your partner is in agreement otherwise you could be in for a long night and not in a good way!

Do you have any suggestions on how to have a frugal Valentine’s Day? What will you be doing on Monday? Leave it in the comments!

Flickr Photos: Elin B, Marc Amos, riptheskull, Aimee Wheaton

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