How to Spend Valentine's Day Without Going Broke

While economic experts from all sides of the spectrum, wrangle over forecasts and predictions, you know that the recession is not yet gone. With the mortgage still to be paid and those credit card yet bills to be cleared, you may be wondering how to scrape enough money for Valentine’s Day. Here are a few inexpensive but creative ways to celebrate this day of love with your significant other.

Say it with flowers

Flowers are one of the most cherished gift ideas on Valentine’s Day. But instead of going broke over an expensive rose bouquet or an exotic orchid arrangement, how about picking flowers with your partner this year. Search beforehand for countryside vales or forest bushes where flowers grow in natural abundance and then on Valentine’s Day, hike or bike with your partner to the place. This will not only save you gas money but the resulting hike or biking experience can be a great way to bond with your beloved. Finally when you are there, pick flowers together, gather them in a rustic bunch and present it to your partner. This is sure to be one of the sweetest Valentine’s Day gestures and all without shelling out a bomb on restaurant reservations or movie tickets.

Pick some fruit

If natural flower growing regions are hard to find around your town, look for orchards and fruit gardens where you can go and pick fruit with your partner. It could be a strawberry patch, an apple orchard or grape vineyard. These are generally free to visit with the only cost being that of the fruit you bring back. Once you are done in the orchard, you can then seductively feed each other the fruit you picked.

Picnic in the Park

If you are lucky enough to have a spell of nice weather around Valentine’s Day, what better way to romance your sweetheart than in the outdoors. So put together a picnic hamper with a few sandwiches, a couple of fruits, brownies or any other dessert that is lying about in your kitchen. Then find a sunny spot in the neighborhood park or along a water-body and lay down the picnic stuff. Use the time spent together to talk to each other, find out about your partner’s dreams and aspirations and the at the end of the day you will feel connected to him/her in a way that would have been impossible if you have settled for an evening at the nightclub.

Look up what’s going on

Most of the time, there is a carnival, a fair or fete going on in a town or a city. Look up your local newspaper or the bulletins at your community center. These local events make excellent ways to have a fun Valentine’s Day time on a budget. Generally there are no or very nominal entry fees. At the fair or fete, you can sample a variety of eats at the food stalls, try your luck at the games, get goofy before the magic mirrors, jive with the music bands and overall have a rollicking time with your sweetheart.

Make a bunch of love coupons

If you want a Valentine’s Day idea that is both romantic and serves practical purposes, how about making a bunch of love coupons for your sweetheart. These could range from a hundred kisses or you preparing your partner’s favorite casserole to even helping out with a chore that is normally your partner’s job. Don’t forget to make a great show while presenting them to your loved one and remind him/her that they come with an expiry date and so they should not take forever to redeem the coupons. Your partner will not only be thrilled at receiving them but deeply touched to find that you have thought of all his/her favorite things.

Bake a cake

Valentine’s Day is the right time to indulge your partner with something sweet and chocolaty – but instead of buying confectionary that cost an arm and a leg, why not rustle up something up with your partner this Valentine’s Day. Pore over some dessert ideas a couple of days before and make a shortlist of the ones that can be tried at home – planning ahead is important so you have the right ingredients handy. Avoid choosing treats with exotic ingredients like truffles and specialty chocolates which would shoot up the budget. Instead stick to those which call for fresh and local ingredients. Some Valentine’s Day dessert ideas that you can try out with your partner are Sweet-heart cake with cream and strawberries, cupcakes for Cupid with attractive frostings or the eternally and sinfully favorite, a rich dark decadent chocolate cake.

A sensual evening

On the other hand if you want to make things steamier, how about offering a sensual massage to your partner. For this you don’t need to buy a fancy massage kit; instead you can use whatever aromatic lotion or oil you have at home. In order to create a romantic ambience, simply light a few candles around the scene and have some soft music playing in the background. If you and your partner are partial to frolicking in water, you can use the same idea to run a warm bath with some nice-smelling bath salts. The whole idea is to have an intimate time while indulging each other’s sensual side as well.

Get gaming

This Valentine’s Day idea works on several levels – you not only get to save costs of going out but you can also beat bad weather which is quite common in many places around mid-February. After you make your partner comfortable, you can begin with some popular board games like Scrabble and Monopoly and then maybe go on to more active ones like dumb charades or Twister. Again if you both prefer, video and computer games can also be the perfect way to rediscover those childhood thrills. Card games are usually more fun with friends and double dates but if you know your partner quite well, you can have a naughty time with a game of strip poker. No matter what kind you prefer, games are usually great fun if you and your partner don’t mind some friendly competition. Don’t forget to arrange for some drinks and crispies so that you both can snack on while pondering on the next move.

Get set to rock and roll

Getting tickets to indoor music concerts can be expensive. Even though there are quite a few outdoor concerts going on around this time of the year, braving the cold can be a tough proposition. Why not have your own music party then? Get a few karaoke cds and belt out those rocking numbers or woo your beloved with some soul-stirring tunes. It may be entertaining or it may be embarrassing but one thing a karaoke evening will never be is boring!

Movie night

Yet another way of beating bad weather and outrageous prices is to rent a couple of movies and have a cozy time indoors. A cup of steaming coffee and a slice of that sinful chocolate cake are all it takes to complete the mood. However make sure that the titles will go down well with your partner too. While romantic movies seem the perfect choice for a rainy afternoon on Valentine Day, check with your partner before going overboard on the mush quotient. You don’t want to end up watching the movie on your own while your dear one snores away to dreamland. In the end, a movie night at home will not only help you save money on exorbitant movie theater tickets, but will provide far more intimacy. So snuggle up before the screen and if you find yourselves enjoying all of this, you may even prolong the date to another movie or follow it up with some romantic action of your own.