For those in romantic relationships, Valentine’s Day can feel like an expensive holiday. Between chocolates and flowers and jewelry and oversized stuffed animals, the costs can start to add up. For students with limited income, it can be stressful to think about making your Valentine feel special while also being conscientious of your bank account. But there are so many ways to demonstrate love besides exchanging material possessions. If you’re low on funds, here are 5 inexpensive ways to make your Valentine feel special this year.
- Make them a candlelit dinner at home
A Valentine’s Day dinner out can mean hunting for reservations, crowded restaurants, and hefty price tags. Instead, spend the evening enjoying a home cooked meal. If you’re the chef, you can decide what you are comfortable spending, and there are plenty of affordable recipes that are sure to impress any date. Light a couple candles, set the table nicely, play some romantic music, and crack open a bottle of wine to share. This is a thoughtful, intimate way to spend your evening.
- Make them a custom playlist
If you want to give your partner a personal gift, make them a custom playlist. Compile all the songs that remind you of them in an online playlist, or if you’re feeling retro, burn them a CD. To make it more romantic, you can write or type out a track list and explain why you chose each song. A playlist is the perfect way to express how you feel, and gives your partner something to listen to and think of you.
- Compile a scrapbook
If you’ve been with your partner for a while and want to reminisce on the good times you’ve had together, put together a scrapbook. You can find inexpensive photo albums, but it also works to use any journal. Pick out your favorite photos and get them printed (this is typically pretty cheap), gather any other memorabilia like movie tickets or receipts you might have, and lay them out in your book of choice. This is something you can prepare ahead of time and give as a gift, but can also be an activity you do together on Valentine’s Day. Leave some blank pages at the end so you can keep adding to it, or make this a tradition and make a new one for every year.
- Take a day trip
There are dozens of cool places near Seattle. Take the day and drive up Mount Rainier to see the views, or take the ferry over to Bainbridge, or spend the day in Leavenworth. Time in the car means plenty of time for good conversation, and you can spend some quality time exploring a new place. If you and your partner aren’t available on Valentine’s Day to get away, make a coupon that your partner can cash in anytime you both have the day off.
- Make paper flowers
There’s nothing like flowers to make someone feel special, but nice bouquets can get expensive. With nothing but some wire, green floral tape, and old book pages, you can make the perfect Valentine’s Day bouquet. Find an online tutorial for the type of flowers you think your partner will love the most and get crafting. Not only is this the perfect Valentine’s day gift, but your partner will have something to decorate their space that won’t be dead in a week.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show your loved ones how much you care about them. While classic Valentine’s Day gifts and experiences can run on the expensive side, with just a little bit of time and effort, you can make your Valentine feel like the most treasured person in the world.