Valentine's Day on a Budget

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Believe it or not, Valentine's Day is right around the corner.

In prior years, you might have gone all out on the roses, Teddy Bears, chocolate, jewelry, a fancy dinner, those little candy hearts… but that was before the Money Minute.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate on love, or even on Valentine’s Day. We hear all the time that Valentine’s Day is a holiday Hallmark made up to sell cards and chocolate, and, sure, there might be a little truth to that—but if your partner takes Valentine’s Day seriously, you’re taking Valentine’s Day seriously. That’s just how the heart-shaped cookie crumbles.

So here are my three biggest tips on doing Valentine’s Day the right way— and that’s the right way for your partner, and also for your bank account.

1. Start a tradition. Instead of going with the typical romantic dinner, why don’t you start a tradition that you and your partner can do every year on Valentine’s Day? The point here is to find something meaningful and cost-effective— once those two criteria are met, the world is your oyster. You could have a picnic in the spot where you first met; you could make Valentine’s Day a no social-media day where instead of scrolling, you spend undistracted time together; you could volunteer for an organization you and your partner believe in— you get the idea. Make it something you two can do together and look forward to every year— that is priceless.

2. Skip it. I’ll say it again— I don’t hate love… but what’s better for your spending plan than to spend zero dollars and skip Valentine’s Day altogether? But here’s the important part: you and your partner have to agree on this game plan beforehand. Otherwise, I don’t care who you are, you’ll be in the dog house. So first, ask your bae: is Valentine’s Day important to you? If not, then why the heck are you celebrating it? Especially if you guys also celebrate an anniversary annually. Showing your partner you appreciate them is important; but do you need to celebrate your anniversary and Valentine’s Day every year? Check in with your partner and see if it makes sense to choose to celebrate either your anniversary or Valentine’s Day. I mean when you’re in love, every day is Valentine’s Day, right?

3. Be the mail guy. If skipping Valentine’s Day isn’t on the table, and you feel like you do need to get a little gift, don’t get it delivered. The typical Valentine’s Day goodies— flowers and chocolate— all have hiked-up delivery fees on and before Valentine’s Day. So instead of getting flowers delivered to your house, go out and buy some yourself! And don’t overlook grocery store flowers; Trader Joe’s has some Grade-A flower arrangements at a fraction of the price of a traditional florist.

You've got some time to put together your dreamy Valentine's Day plan. Make it count!

xo,

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