The Beatles said that money “can’t buy me love” and while they weren’t relationship experts or financial advisers, you may be wise to follow their advice. If you’re one of the 55% of Americans who made a New Year’s resolution to pay down their debt this year, Valentine’s Day may present your first real challenge. Will you be able to communicate your love without getting off-track or blowing your budget?
Traditionally consumers feel obligated to spend money on expensive jewelry, flowers and chocolates to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Well, money doesn’t buy love and you don’t need to spend it to have a special day with your loved one. Skip the diamond tennis bracelet or fancy watch this year and instead plan a special day or evening together. It’s possible to plan a knock-out event that will wow your partner with the depth of your love and romance instead of the width of your wallet. Here are 7 tips from DebtGoal.com CEO and founder, Scott Crawford, to help make your Valentine’s Day fun, yet frugal so you don’t break the bank.
1. Plan a cooking night. Skip the reservation at expensive restaurants. Instead plan for you and your date to complete a meal from a cookbook together. Irrespective of success, this can be entertaining and memorable.
2. Get Crafty- Surprise your Valentine with something homemade from the heart. Create a customized Valentine that tells your loved one how you truly feel about them. List the top 10 things you love most about them, or the 5 fondest memories you have of them. You can’t buy that at Hallmark!
3. Enjoy a nostalgic night. Pull out all the photos and/or videos of you and your partner and spend an evening remembering the good times you’ve had together. Too often we go through life so fast that we forget to stop and appreciate it. Looking back at past vacations together, family events, parties or sports functions is a great way to reminisce on “the good old days”.
4. Go for a sunset stroll. Coupled with a bottle of wine from the market, this could make a very romantic Valentine’s evening.
5. Have a movie night. Why spend money at the theatre when you can enjoy a romantic comedy or drama in the comfort of your own living room. Light some candles, pick up a box of chocolates or a pint of ice cream, snuggle up with your loved one under a blanket and enjoy.
6. Get Active. Go star-gazing, bicycle riding, hiking, or beach combing. In other words, doing something outdoors that doesn’t entail traveling far from home or spending a lot of money. For added entertainment, pack a picnic basket and blanket before you leave home and enjoy an outdoor lunch. If you live in an area with colder weather, try sledding or snow shoeing and afterwards enjoy some hot cocoa by the fire.
7. Play board games. Often times people forget how much fun playing board games is. Timeless classics like Scrabble, Yahtzee, Connect Four and Uno can be played with two players OR invite your friends over for group games like Taboo and Trivial Pursuit.
Scott Crawford is CEO of DebtGoal.com, a do-it-yourself system for getting out of debt and lowering your interest costs. DebtGoal.com incorporates all of the techniques discussed in this post and can help users understand and get visibility to and manage their debt finances.
