So Valentines Day is coming up. The day of love and another chance to spend extra money that you don’t have. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be. Valentines day is supposed to be about spending time with the one you love and that shouldn’t have to cost a lot of money. Here are some tips that can help you save money on your Valentines Day plans this year.
Celebrate on a different day
This will save you the most money if you can get your significant other to agree to do this. Since the holiday is supposed to be about expressing and sharing your love, it shouldn’t depend on the particular day. By going to dinner the day before or the day after, you can often avoid paying for the higher-priced menus some restaurants bring out for special holidays. Not to mention you will avoid the crowds since half the world will be going out for dinner on Valentines Day (and it will be easier to find a babysitter)
Also, chocolate and other Valentines Day candy is usually half off the day after the holiday and really, what woman wouldn’t want twice as much chocolate??
Find dining discounts online
There are so many restaurant discounts online that can save you 50% or more on your meal. There are many different ways to find them too. If you have an entertainment book you can find some great discounts in there. Many restaurants have coupons available right on their own websites. Or you can simply do an online search of “[your city] restaurant coupons”. You may also find that some restaurants offer a special discount on certain weeknights or at certain times. Dining coupons often have a restriction that they can’t be used on holidays, which is why celebrating on a different day is also helpful.
Eat out earlier
Restaurants’ lunch prices are usually significantly lower than their dinner prices, which means you can get the same food for a lot less money if you are willing to eat a little earlier. Some restaurants serve lunch until
Eat dinner in and go out for dessert
Dinner for 2 can get quite expensive, but dessert for 2 can easily be had for under $20. Try making a candlelit dinner at home and then venturing out for dessert afterwards. The Melting Pot has a very affordable chocolate fondue dessert option that is fun and delicious. You can also get ice cream or go to any typical restaurant and only order dessert. Since it’s so much cheaper than dinner, you could even order 3 desserts and share them all!
Do something different
Always go to dinner and a movie on Valentines Day? Try something different this year- something that you’ve never done, or at least never done together. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be something simple like indoor miniature golf, bowling or ice skating! The point is to do something new and be together. A new activity is a lot more memorable than the same old routine. Even if you try ice skating and you fall, it should create some laughs that will last a while. (Use the same ideas mentioned above for saving money on dining to find discounts for these kinds of things too.)
Look for the small things
Small tokens of love can go a long way. Almost any wife/mom would LOVE it if their husbands would offer to clean the house and let them relax for an evening. Something like that wouldn’t cost any money, but would be GREATLY appreciated- maybe even more so than dinner and flowers. Maybe offer to give your wife a massage or draw her a bath with candles. The key is to find what your partner loves and try to give them that. It doesn’t have to cost a lot because it really is the thought that counts.
Celebrating Valentines Day, or any other holiday or special occasion for that matter, doesn’t have to break the bank. Sincerely showing someone how much you love them will go so much farther than spending a lot of money on one evening.
