Valentine’s Day is supposed to be the most romantic night of the year, right? You get to spend an evening enjoying your sweetheart and reveling in your love for each other. But who can relax and enjoy this special occasion if you’re spending the entire time worrying about its cost? I certainly can’t!
The perfect Valentine’s Day date for me combines romance and frugality. Then, I don’t have to worry about the backlash of guilt that is sure to come with an extravagant night on the town. Does the idea of a frugal Valentine’s Day sound like a drag to you? If it does, then you haven’t checked out these ideas to have a Valentine’s Day on the frugal side.
Date with the Redbox: If you haven’t checked out these ultra-convenient and super-cheap vending machines, you should. For $1 you can rent a new release DVD for one day. How’s that for affordable? Plan on renting a movie you’ll both love, turning the lights down low, and pretend you’re dating all over again. As an added bonus, Redbox machines are available all over the place: in grocery stores, in McDonald’s restaurants, and even Wal-mart.
Dress to the Nines: Just because you can’t afford an evening at your locally-acclaimed restaurant doesn’t mean you can’t pretend like you can. Instead, go to your favorite, but budget-friendly restaurant, dressed up like you’re going somewhere special. Just the simple act of getting all decked out puts you in the mood to have a special evening. Sip water from sparkling glasses (instead of expensive wine), and dine on a heaping plate of pasta (rather than filet mignon). You won’t care; the only thing you’ll see is your well-appointed date across the table.
Window Shop ‘til You Drop: Just because you can’t afford the finer things in life doesn’t mean you can’t dream about them for a little while. Take an evening stroll in your city’s luxury shopping area. (Don’t try this at the mall; the effect isn’t quite the same. You’ll just end up frustrated that you can’t buy the things you want.) The decadent items gracing the store’s windows are so extravagant that average people can’t buy them, anyway. You’re just spending the evening on your sweetheart’s arm and dreaming together.
Explore Each Other’s Interests: Remember when you first started dating your sweetheart and you thought he was the most brilliant person alive? If he’s into cars, you thought he could work magic with them. If she’s a crafty gal, you were convinced that she was an artist who just happened to work with fabric instead of paint. Unfortunately, life’s many requirements can make you forget the things that you admired in your significant other quickly. You can relive those moments, however, by spending an afternoon together revisiting each other’s hobbies. Take your art-lover to a museum and really listen to him as he points out what he likes about the different displays. Your car guy will love to spend a few hours at the car show as he shows you his favorite cars. In no time at all you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to those first days of love.
{ 3 comments }
