Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and money is tight, what to do? Of course you want to celebrate your love, but you want to do so without feeling guilty about money spent. These Frugal Valentine’s Day Ideas will rekindle the love you both have for one another.
No need to give up your romantic feelings or your wish to make the day special, celebrate it without spending money.
There are so many things you can do without spending money to make the day with your partner super special, you could spend all day together and still not spend money.
I’m not a crafty or imaginative person so I’m always looking out for ways to do things that don’t involve me buying a ton of craft items or spending hours trying to re-create something that ends up looking nothing like the original!
Tried and tested frugal ideas
My husband and I have been together 30 years now so we’ve had a few Valentine’s Days together and for many of them we were either totally broke or trying desperately to pay off our mortgage early.
He was banned from buying me flowers from the florist after the 3rd time, lovely though they were, the cost was too much in my eyes. Especially when you can get lovely flowers from the supermarket for 1/3rd of the price.
We decided to treat Valentine’s Day as a special, non-spending day and the more we could do for free, the more fun we had. I am sure there are a few ideas below that are going to be right up your street for being both fun and free.
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revisit significant places
A trip down memory lane can be an extremely romantic day. Going back to the places where significant things happened in your relationship gives you the chance to remember them and enjoy those memories.
Why not revisit places like:
- Where you first met
- Your first date
- Your first kiss
- Marriage proposal
- The church or place you got married at
Look back over old photos
Grab a bottle of wine and spend a couple of hours looking back through all the photographs of your time together.
It’s amazing how many memories resurface when you look at old photographs, memories you haven’t thought about for years. No doubt you will have a few laughs and maybe a few tears.
Watch your wedding video
OMG we watched our wedding video a couple of years back! The older you are, the funnier they are. You can’t help but notice how much you have changed yet stayed the same.
It’s lovely to see all the family, some of whom are no longer here, and compare them to now. We spent time talking about our nerves on the day and how we have got to where we are now.
sunset stroll
Going for a walk may be something you already do on a regular basis but a walk at sunset is just that extra bit special. The colors and the fading light make for a normal walk to be turned into a romantic walk.
Especially when you add in conversation about your relationship and your love for each other.
breakfast in bed
You might need to draw straws to see who gets to stay in bed and who get’s to be breakfast chef.
Or you could both temporarily get up, make your favorite breakfast and then jump back in to enjoy a leisurely time eating, drinking and spending quality time with your loved one.
wine and cheese Supper
My hubby knows that breakfast in bed is much more his thing than mine as I am not a breakfast person. But wine, cheese and crackers is definitely a treat, especially when it replaces dinner so you can eat more without feeling guilty!
Choose 3 or 4 more unusual cheeses, crackers, some grapes and a bottle of wine. Why not go mad and have bubbles instead of normal wine, not champagne because that’s expensive!
Cava and prosecco can cost the same as a bottle of wine but makes the supper that bit more special.
Toast marshmallows over a fire
If you have an open fire or a wood burner you don’t even need to go outside to toast your marshmallows.
We have a wood burner so we keep the door open and cosy up in front of it to toast our marshmallows. You could also upgrade to s’mores.
Create Valentine’s day coupons
This is a gift I have created for my husband for both Valentine’s Day and Christmas (what can I say? I’m cheap and frugal!).
Create coupons of things you promise to do for your loved one. It could be to cook a meal, run them a bath, do their most unpleasant chore, or something they would love you to do.
why i love you list
For the true romantic, a list of all the things you love about your partner will go down a storm. It could be a plain list or each why on a separate little note, you could fill a jar with these notes so they can pull one out whenever they feel like reading something romantic.
listen to a podcast together
DD2 and her chap have a nice routine for their Saturday mornings. They grab a coffee, go back to bed or snuggle up on the sofa, and listen to their favorite podcast. It’s 45 minutes of quality time where they laugh together and enjoy something together.
Treasure hunt
I have a friend who is fantastic at treasure hunts for all sorts of occasions. Easter, Halloween and Christmas always involve a treasure hunt for the whole family.
Why not take a leaf out of her book and create your own treasure hunt for your loved one? A trail of love note clues around the house and garden each leading to another is something I am sure your partner would enjoy and really appreciate.
Use these little notepads to create your notes and this keepsake box to keep them in once the treasure hunt is over.
You could also end the treasure hunt with a picnic of their favorite foods, either at your local park or favorite spot or in the warmth of home.
Hide Love messages
Make Valentine’s Day last even longer by hiding love messages around the house, they will never find them in one day. You could hide them in fairly obvious places initially, like the sock drawer, linen cupboard, near the TV and in the fridge.
But don’t stop at obvious places, add in some less obvious as these will be found another time. Places like the shed, in the car boot, behind a curtain, in a trouser or skirt pocket.
5 Budget ideas for valentine’s Day
If you want a few budget ideas for gifts because you can’t help but spend a little money then these frugal ideas could be just what you’re looking for.
Frame you
We all take pictures of ourselves, our families but how many do you have of the two of you out on display, that aren’t over 10 years old?
You can buy really nice picture frames
single rose
Florist flowers are not in every frugalista’s budget, but a single rose (or another favorite flower) could well be. A single flower seems to have more significance than a dozen red roses, especially now you can buy these from every grocery store as well as the florist.
Potted plant
I know potted plants are often what you pick up as a quick present for your Mother or Aunt when you’ve run out of ideas but your loved one could appreciate them just as much.
Plants last much longer and can be seen to grow over time, something that can linked to how your relationship grows over time too.
Bottle of bubbles
Champagne is for specially occasions but it isn’t cheap. Luckily there are much cheaper alternatives that taste just as good for a fraction of the price. Cava and Prosecco are my favorites and they cost almost the same as my usual bottle of wine.
My husband is not so keen on bubbles and I cannot drink a whole bottle so I spent too many years missing out until he bought me a
It keeps the fizz in for at least 48 hours which means I can now have my bottle of Prosecco on Valentine’s Day and not drink it flat the following day.
Journal
We’ve all had some difficult times in the last year or two so taking time for self care and reflection is important. A journal gives you space to write out your thoughts, your gratitude and your love every day or whenever you want.
Some people have separate gratitude journals and more diary like journals. For me I prefer an
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Last Updated on 4th April 2023 by Emma
