Making Valentine’s Day Less Expensive

I have been married over ten years, so I will be honest that I do not expect a lot from my husband for Valentine’s Day.  My husband personally thinks of it as a “Hallmark Holiday”, and therefore should not be celebrated.  (Yes, quite the romantic.  I know).  That being said, like most Americans nowadays, we try to save money where we can.  I don’t want him spending an arm and a leg of money we do not have on a holiday like this (I would much rather have him do that on my birthday which is a month later!).

That being said, you can do Valentine’s Day less expensive and possibly even make it more thoughtful.  Here are few of my tips:

1. Flowers.  Roses are the most expensive flowers to get this time of year.  If you have to have flowers on Valentine’s Day, daisies, freesias, carnations, or chrysanthemums are much cheaper choices. Honestly, flowers are flowers are flowers.
2. Think homemade.  You can make your own card or simply write a love letter or poem. A personal letter says a lot more then something you picked out of a card aisle.  Personally, I would love a love letter from my husband!
3. Cook a special dinner instead of heading out to a crowded, over-priced restaurant.  You can make a favorite meal or check the ads the weekend before your dinner and cook a meal that you have coupons for!  Save money and still be able to eat something nice with this tip!
4. Instead of heading out to a movie, head out to Redbox!  Redbox rents moves for $1 a night which is way less than what you are going to pay in the theater.  You can also pop some of your own popcorn and make your home your personal movie theater!
5. Shop early. Prices on certain items around special events and holidays always seem to go up.  If you find the perfect gift early, just pack it away.  It is money you would have spent anyway and now you saved yourself a few dollars.