Love with diamonds and a five star meal is neither a necessity nor
necessarily a meaningful expression of love for Valentine's Day.
Having the means to pay for expensive gifts and experiences does not
relieve the giver from expressing love personally, nor does it
relieve the recipient from returning such love personally.
If you're worried that your funds can't stretch far enough to give
your beloved a Valentine's Day to remember, realize that the best
experience on Valentine's Day is having your partner come away from it
with the absolute knowledge that they're loved, cared about, and
wanted. Save your money and still have a great Valentine's Day.
!! Steps !!
Avoid equating love with consumption. It's easy to get bogged down
in the buying frenzy surrounding Valentine's Day, as retailers vie
to rake in some decent profits from romance-inspired lovers. Love
isn't about what you give in goods though; it's about what you give
by way of time, attention, and acknowledgment of the other person.
And none of those can be purchased. Once you view Valentine's Day
from the perspective of it being about acknowledging and celebrating
your love by spending time together, it's easier to realize that a
budget Valentine is still a perfect date opportunity.
Minimize rather than do without. One of the tricks to saving money
on Valentine's Day is to still indulge in some of the traditional
Valentine's accessories but to reduce them. For example, instead
giving her a dozen red roses, give her one, held in your teeth, and
accompanied by your best impression of a Spanish dancer. Or, give
him a special brand of chocolate bar instead of a whole box of
expensive chocolates. In this way, you can still participate in the
essence of Valentine's Day but spend very little.
Make your own. A homemade card is always more meaningful than a
purchased one. It says not only what you write in it but also "I
took the time to make this because I care enough about you to give
that time." As far as mementos go, it's likely the card will be kept
for many years to come! Other things can be made too, for gifts.
Draw on your own skills when making gifts; for example, if you're a
keen gardener, give something from the garden; if you're a keen
cook, make something delectable; if you're a keen outdoor
enthusiast, give a fully guided nature walk or a lesson in your
favorite sport.
Think of something you can do for your love. An excellent way to
show your love can be through making love coupons or vouchers. These
can contain promises that range from the mundane to the downright
sexy, all depending on your willingness to do things for your love.
Make a large heart from construction paper, attach as many coupons
as you're willing to give. Some examples include:
* This voucher is good for one week of dish washing by me, no
questions asked.
* This voucher is good for guaranteeing one season of your favorite
TV show to be shared with me. And a promise that there will be no
channel surfing during said show.
* This voucher is good for one loving foot massage. To be redeemed
any time.
* This voucher is good for one massage in a bubble bath. Any time of
day or night.
* This voucher is good for a long snog in front of a movie of your
choice.
* This voucher is good for the night of your wildest dreams. To be
redeemed when you're in the mood.
Exchange cheesy but sweet gifts that remind you of one another, for
whatever reason. You can either initiate this yourself, or suggest
it as a Valentine's tradition for the two of you. The item should be
very affordable, and recall some experience that the two of you have
had together. Make a nice card that explains the gift but don't be
too cheesy in what you write. For example:
* A cheap plastic snow globe with two hearts inside. Write that it
reminds you of the night when she fell in the snow, and that when
you came to pick her up, you couldn't help noticing how adorable
she looked surrounded by snow.
* A plastic surfboard keyring. Write that it reminds you of the
month the two of you spent surfing in Bali and how it was there
that you realized you wanted to surf the rest of your life with
him.
* A brooch featuring a computer and mouse. Write that it is a
reminder of how the two of you met online and how you'll never
forget the beauty of her first smile by video chat.
Give time. Giving time is the ultimate romantic gesture. It will
mean a great deal if you're usually stretched for time and you
choose to give up the whole day to spend with your beloved, doing
things together that have nothing to do with work, raising a family,
paying bills, etc. Banish the mundane and just allow the day to be
about the two of you together. As part of this, be thoroughly
attentive, listen, and take the chance to share dreams and hopes for
the future, including renewing dreams that might have been taken for
granted over time.
* If you can, find babysitters for the kids so that you're truly
alone. If not, let the kids know that this is a day for "mom and
dad" and get them helping in making it special.
How about a romantic picnic on the carpet? Create a special evening
at home together. Make a meal in which you go to extra trouble. It
doesn't have to be expensive food; just spend time making it more
complicated and interesting than the usual daily meals. Look online
for recipe ideas to help you turn ordinary ingredients into something
fabulous. If you're going to watch a special DVD together, be sure to
make some tasty popcorn to share.
* Spell "I love you" on the plate using food! Use your beloved's
favorite food if you can.
* Make a love heart pizza.
* Playing boardgames is another entertaining option for passing the
evening in fun rivalry. Or, set up a video or online game that the
two of you can get deeply involved in, provided both of you really
enjoy such games.
Stargaze. Put on warm clothes and step out to check out the night
sky. If you have to travel, add picnic rugs, a thermos of warm
drink, some snack bars, and a full tank of fuel. Find somewhere on
the city outskirts where the sky is clear. Take along a star chart
and look for stars that you know. Choose a star just for the two of
you and make a promise to look for it every Valentine's Day.
Be spontaneous. Do the unexpected and thrill your beloved. Secretly
learn a few dance moves and surprise her by taking out to dance.
Memorize his favorite poem and recite it after dinner, then present
him with a rose you've grown yourself. Make it appear as if the two
of you are set to have a movie night in, then suddenly gasp: "Oh my!
We mustn't miss ......" And drag her out the door to see the sun
set, watch a movie, listen to a visiting band, or whatever else you
think is most appropriate.
Take a walk down memory lane together. Take your beloved to
somewhere they told you was special to them as a child. Spend time
walking around it and asking questions about their feelings. Explain
that it might not be the same as when your beloved was young but
that now your beloved has two memories of the special place – one
without you and one with you. Be sure to take a photo of the two of
you there!
* Another way of remembering the past is to dig out old photos and
go through them together. Look at photos from both your childhood
times and your times together. It's great to have an excuse to
enjoy all those photos that get stowed away and forgotten about!
* Say "I love you". It doesn't cost anything but it says
and means a great deal. Don't be shy; say it a lot during the day.
Tell your love how you really feel. He or she will appreciate your
honesty and it will mean more than any gift could.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Whatever you do, put all of you into it. It always shows.
* If you're not positive it's going to be a hit, scrap the idea.
Nothing worse than a guess on the day of love.
* Ask someone to help you make your idea better, by going over it
with you or helping out in making it come true.
!! Warnings !!
* There's a difference between cute cheesy, and _way_ too cheesy.
It's a fine line. Don't cross it.
* Turn off your cell phone so that you can't be tempted to be
interrupted. This might also require turning off your computer if
you're spending the evening at home together.
* If you're still worried that your love would rather an expensive
gift over your kind words and deeds, bear in mind that no gift can
replace honest expressions of love and a gift that tries to excuse
lack of loving gestures through the rest of the year can never
hope to make up for such neglect.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Time to spend together
* Small tokens
* Ingredients for a meal
* Photo albums
* Craft materials to make cards and gifts
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Write a Love Letter
* How to Make Cards for Valentines Day
* How to Make a Cool and Unique Valentines Day Box
* How to Make Valentine's Day More Meaningful
* How to Create a Collage As Birthday or Valentine Card
* How to Celebrate Valentine's Day
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
* Discuss
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