Valentine’s day is around the corner and most of you are probably thinking about what you will do to impress your partner!
Average American then you will most likely be going to spend about $221.34 on gifts, foods, and activities according to the data gathered by Finder.com. Interestingly, it is expected that men will likely to spend more (husband: $357.96, boyfriend: $231.55) compared to their female counterparts (wife: $206.23, girlfriend: $105.02)
Of course, we are not an average American, so it is likely that you are thinking of ways to impress your partner without breaking your budget and I have some couple of ideas that would make you and your partner happy.
Valentine’s Day Ideas on A Budget
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1. Groupon
Let us start with Groupon because why not! Groupon can save you a lot of bucks on your date or gift or both!
For those who do not know Groupon, it is basically a coupon site/app where you can find great deals on restaurants, things to do, products, and many more.
If you are on a budget, but still want to make your Valentine’s date extra special, then head to Groupon to find good deals.
Just type what type of food or activity you want to do for the day and Groupon will show you participating restaurants or businesses that are currently offering promotions.
PRO-TIP: You can use SwagBucks’s browser extension and get additional ~5% of on your discounted coupon!
2. DIY Valentines Card
Ladies help me out on this one!
Do you prefer receiving a gift that is hand made by your man or something that is picked up from a store on the go?
I always believe that DIY gifts are better than store-purchased gifts because well J.Lo says so!
Anyways, whichever is true, we can’t deny the fact that receiving a DIY Valentines card is romantic and at the same time is not as expensive compared to the ones you get from a store (well… except the ones you get from dollar stores) lol
Speaking of a dollar store, there are some hardcore DIY card kits but you can definitely purchase the materials you need for your DIY V-cards from a dollar store and the best part is you can make more than a dozen cards from that initial small investment.
The best thing about DIY V-cards is you can customize it according to the liking of your partner to prove to her how much you know about his/her likes!
If you need more help on this Valentine project, then head to my Pinterest board to get more ideas: DIY Valentine cards that will save you money
3. Origami Flowers
Another DIY and I can assure you your lady will love an origami flower!
Here are some reasons why an origami flower rocks!
First of all, origami flowers are timeless, unlike real flowers that withers within few days. Origami flowers will not wither, will not rot, and the color will not fade (unless you keep it under the sun for a very long time obviously).
Second, this one is cheap but a very unique gift. In fact, you can use the materials from your DIY V-cards.
Third, unless your lady is Marie Kondo, keeping an origami flower can become a very sentimental gift that your lady will appreciate for a very long time.
Fourth, tell your lady that your love for her will only stop if this flower withers!!!
4. Learn Your Partner’s Hobby
Learning your partner’s hobby is cheap but it can be very beneficial to your relationship.
It is cheap because your partner probably has the materials that both of you will need to perform the task.
It is beneficial because you show interest in what they love to do. Teaching one another will also help both of you to communicate well, develop patience, learn how to recognize your emotion and how to respond to it in a stressful situation, discussing what your goal is for the night then set a strategy to reach that goal and many more. I know, I know. They sound geeky but gets seldom gets divorced!… I think.
5. Start or Complete a House Project or Clean Your House Together
Maybe you are the one who is asking your spouse to finish/do something in the house or maybe you are the one being asked, nevertheless, we have been there. It is annoying to keep asking and it is equally annoying to keep being asked, but it doesn’t matter because on Valentine’s day you will do and finish it as a couple. #relationshipgoals
ProTip: Just be careful how you present this idea to your spouse especially if you are being asked to do this task for months now. Make sure to apologize first, and ask with humility 😉
6. Subway Station Hoping
Are you and your partner love to travel? Do both of you love exploring new places? If yes, then subway station hoping is the best Valentine’s date idea for you.
But John Greg, I have been living in this city my entire life!
This is actually good because you can tour your partner and show them the hidden gems of your city!
Realistically though, there is a good chance that both of you hasn’t really got the chance to explore every corner of the city no matter how long you are in the same city! So pack up your gear, buy a subway ticket, hop on a subway, walk a few blocks around a subway station, then hop back on again and on to the next stop.
ProTip: Most public transit offers free transfer for a certain period of time, so you can literally explore as many neighborhoods around a subway station as you can for the price of a single ticket!
7. Skating
If you are living in the northern hemisphere of the planet, then your valentine is dead in the middle of winter and that is actually good!! If you do not mind the cold weather then skating is actually a good date activity that you can do on Valentine.
Skating rental is very cheap and it is free if you have your own skates. Finish the day with hot ramen or hot pho, which by the way is equally good tasting and affordable
8. Volunteer on Your Local Charity
Volunteering on your local charity will not only help you save money but it will make both of you realize how blessed you truly are and on top of that, you will make a stranger’s day special!
Other benefits include; your partner will not say no to that, you will not pay a thing on your date, some charity gives you snack or even a meal after volunteering, both of you will feel good after the activity and many many more!
How do I pick a charity to volunteer?
You need to consider two things when you are looking for a place to volunteer. First, you need to find a charity that has values in line with yours. Second, find a charity that has a good reputation.
9. NetFlix and Pillow Fort Night
Nope. This is not a wrong spelling and it is not certainly the game!
This date night is absolutely free (I guess except food cost and assuming you have Netflix) because all you need are pillows, blanket, TV, a couple of Christmas lights, snacks, and a lot of creativity building your forth. You can also use LED diffusers with essential oils to further set up the mood!
Setting this date is pretty straight forward. Just build and decorate the fort, ready your snacks then do a Netflix marathon under your romantic pillow fort!
10. Read and Discuss 5 Love Languages Together
Did you know that the top reason for divorce is miscommunication and not infidelity? Did you know that there are different love languages and your love language is not necessarily the same as your partner? Did you know that an American who only understand English marries a Chinese who only understand Chinese will have a tough time communicating with each other?
Hopefully, you get where I am going here. Communication is the key to a healthy marriage or relationship and using the same language is important to proper communication.
Believe it or not, there are actually 5 love languages and these are the following: sense of touch, words of appreciation, quality time, acts of service and receiving gifts!
I am tempted to explain how love languages work because I value the importance of family much but that is for another day. However, I recommend that you pick up the 5 Love Language Book and go over it with your partner 🙂
What’s Your V-day Date Tips?
That is all for me Wealth Builders!
Do you like these ideas? Which one do you like the most? Can you add more on this list?
I am excited to hear from you! Feel free to comment below!
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Thanks for these tips.
For this year, I think Netflix and pillow fort night would be it. I think this is the best option here and reading the 5 love languages. I’ve heard a lot about this book and I’ve never really read it. I just have to set the mood with good quality essential oil. I think even in the present recession in my country, we’ll still have fun with these two ideas.
Thanks for helping out,
warm regards
Hi Louis,
I’m glad you found my tips very helpful. I can assure you that the 5 love languages will surely help you a lot on your relations.
Happy Valentine and Happy Wealth Building,
JG
Valentines day is just by the corner and everyone is planning different ways to enjoy the day with their spouse, partners or friends. But one thing most people often forget to do is to budget. As for peeps like me that won’t like to spend too much, I’ll go for the Groupon site and definitely buy the Origami flowers instead of the regular expensive roses.
Hi Dhayours,
It is certainly would be very helpful if we are to create a budget and allocate a portion of our pay to Valentine’s gift/date section monthly, then stick to our budget during Valentine so we would not break our wallet. Thank you for your suggestion!
Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Wealth Building!
JG
Hi John – I love and appreciate the topic of your post. You’ve provided a lot of great ideas here. Especially the origami flowers. That is such a great idea. I also like the subway hopping idea. That could be a lot of fun. All of your ideas for Valentines Day on a budget are unique and fun.
Thank you,
Michele
Hi Michelle,
Thank you that you like my Valentine’s date ideas. If you have more to add, please don’t hesitate to share it below.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Wealth Building!
JG
These are definitely great ideas for Valentines Day. It really opened my eyes on different things I could do. Usually I would just go out to a restaurant or get a drink with my partner but now it seems like I have much more variety. One thing I would like to recommend in addition with Groupon is Swagbucks. Swagbucks has so many cashback opportunities at many different shops so if people are looking for another way to save money online, check that out.
Hi Kevin!
That is actually a great addition to our on-the-budget-ideas. There are also other great online rebate sites. I have some additional suggested online rebate sites in this article: How to Save on Online Shopping. It is a Christmas themed but certainly could be used to buy Valentine’s gifts as well.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Wealth Building!
JG
Lots of great Valentine’s Day on Budget ideas in this post.
I have to say, the one I like most is subway station hopping. Now that could be whole lot of fun and quite an adventure.
Of course what you do is sometimes weather dependent and because I live in Australia and Valentine’s Day is very much a summer event, one of my favorite things to do is to pack a picnic basket, which can be very economical, find a wonderfully romantic spot and spend quality time with my loved one there. Since we both love the beach, it’s an obvious choice most times.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment.
Uh, I envy you that your Valentine’s day is on summer. The weather certainly is a factor when it comes to on-a-budget-date ideas! Certainly, a picnic and going to the beach is one of the cheapest date ideas but at the same time, it is lots of fun.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Wealth Building!
JG
It is always good to try something new. The goal is just to be happy together, it is not the expensive gift that counts but rather sharing love and being the best of friends. This is some really great ideas with lots of fun.
Hi Norman,
Thanks for sharing your thought.
I agree with what you said. Most of the time, we overlook those things. I and my celebrates Valentine every day. Sounds like a cheesy line but it is true.
Happy Valentine’s day and Happy WealthBuilding.
Regards,
JG
Great review of all of the ways to have on wonderful time on Valentine’s Day on a budget. I love creating my own gift cards as it means so much more to the person rather than the standard version.
All good ideas. Much appreciated.
Hi Joseph,
I’m glad you like my date ideas, and I hope you had a great time with your Valentine!
Cheers,
JG