41 Fun Ways To Celebrate Valentine’s Day On A Tight Budget

Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love and romance by showing your loved ones how important they are to you. It is not a competition to see who can spend the most money on chocolates, expensive flowers, and a fancy dinner. I have rounded up forty-one fun ways to celebrate for free or low cost.

41 Fun Ways To Celebrate Valentine’s Day On A Budget (That Are Easy To Do)

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Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Those On A Tight Budget

1. Go wild with a stack of Post-it notes

Buy a stack of pink Post-it notes and fill them with reasons why you love them, then hide them in their work bag and all over their car and other items they use daily.

For more ideas on using Post-it notes for creative Valentine’s gifts, read 4 Creative Ways To Use Post-it Notes For Thrifty Valentine’s Day Fun (I dare you to try number four).

2. Shop for roses where they are affordable

If you love someone who you know will fully appreciate the traditional romantic gesture of a dozen roses, by all means, splurge on them–but do it the thrifty way. Head to Aldi, Walmart, or Trader Joe’s, where a dozen roses are generally much cheaper than flower shops.

3. Check for deeply discounted Christmas items

Christmas and Valentine’s Day have the color red in common. If you are reading this post in mid-January, check clearance areas of stores for items that don’t scream Christmas–unless your loved one loves Christmas decor. Look for winter-scented candles, bath sets, mugs, cocoa sets, etc.

4. Create a you are the sweetest list

Buy a giant chocolate bar, remove the wrapper, and replace it with a list of 10 reasons you think your spouse is the sweetest.

5. Decorate a mug

Grab a white mug from your local Dollar Tree and one to two oil-based Sharpies in different colors. Draw or write a cute sentiment on the mug, then bake it for 2 hours at 250.

6. Hand deliver their favorite comfort snack

Drop by their place of work with their favorite candy bar, pop, or coffee drink. Or you can place it in their vehicle a few minutes before you know they will drive away in it.

7. Rewrite the lyrics of a song to include your loved one

8. Write sweet nothings on a bunch of balloons

9. Serve them breakfast in bed

10. Fill a jar with future date ideas

11. Bake their favorite dessert

You get bonus points if you can make it heart-shaped.

12. Give them a massage or foot rub

Go the extra distance here by buying a nicely scented massage oil.

13. Surprise them with a clean house

14. Mail them a love letter

15. Personalize a photo frame and place a picture of the two of you in it

16. Make a playlist of songs that remind you of them

17. Write an “I love you more than…” list

18. Add a potted plant to their collection

Go the extra mile and personalize the pot with hearts.

19. Write a poem

20. Make a custom card

Frugal At-Home Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

These following ideas will allow you and your significant other to have a memorable Valentine’s evening without needing reservations–you don’t even have to leave your living room.

21. Plan a romantic dinner for two

Plan a romantic dinner menu that fits your budget. There is always rotisserie chicken, bagged salads, and ready-made sides if you can’t cook. Don’t forget the candles and instead of an outrageously priced dozen roses as a centerpiece, place a single rose on their plate with a handwritten note card expressing a few reasons why you love them.

Or you could do a trendy charcuterie board full of cut-up cheeses, sliced deli meats, and various cut-up veggies. Add a container of DIY chocolate-dipped strawberries (Google it–trust me, it is super easy to do) for dessert, and you have the start of a romantic picnic meal that can be enjoyed in front of your fireplace.

22. Create a movie night at-home kit

Rent a Redbox movie or find one on your favorite streaming service you know your hubby or wife will love. Purchase two theater-sized candy boxes from the dollar store or Walmart, plus some microwave popcorn and something you both like to drink. Place all the items in a gift bag with a note saying you will get the kids to bed this evening in plenty of time for you two to enjoy a solo movie night while cuddled up on the couch together.

23. Enjoy a read and snuggle date

This suggestion is exclusively for bookworms (because my hubby and I are bookworms). Go to the library together, just the two of you, each grab a book, and then spend that evening cuddled up together on the couch reading books.

Love books, too? Here is a list of 17 ways to save money on books.

24. Bake up some sweet treats to enjoy together

Bake up your sweetheart’s favorite dessert, then after the kids are in bed, light candles, turn off the lights, cuddle up on the couch, and eat your sweet treat together off the same plate. Bonus romance points if you try feeding it to each other.

25. Watch the sunset or sunrise from your backyard

Bundle up, grab a mug of coffee or hot cocoa, and enjoy the sun rising or setting in your backyard.

Here is my simple recipe for hot cocoa that anyone can make.

26. Play video games together

27. Spend an entire day in bed together

28. Take a bath together

Don’t forget the aromatherapy bubble bath soap!

29. Go for a picnic in your backyard

30. Have a picnic in your living room

Lay down a blanket, turn down the lights, light a few candles, turn on some love songs, and you have set the perfect mood for a romantic evening picnic without leaving your living room.

31. Get out your wedding video or album and take a stroll down memory lane

32. Have a game night or a puzzle night

33. Fire up your fireplace or backyard fire pit

Don’t forget the ingredients for s’mores!

Here is my recipe for chocolate chip cookie s’mores.

34. Dance the evening away

Push all the furniture to the sides of the room, turn on some music, and sweep your honey off their feet by dancing with them all night long.

35. Make Chocolate Fondue

36. Take a virtual class together

The class could be painting, macrame, or how to make a new recipe. It just has to be a class both of you are at least a bit interested in. Search for free DIY tutorials on YouTube.

Hit The Town For The Perfect Date On Valentine’s Day

Perhaps enjoying time alone in your home is next to impossible during the stage of life you are currently in–such as the early years with multiple children. If this is you and your mate, there are low-cost ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day out.

If the price of a sitter keeps you from date night, consider doing a childcare swap with friends who have kids your own kiddos enjoy playing with.

37. Go out for something other than dinner

Enjoying a complete meal out can be expensive, head out to your favorite coffee house, ice-cream parlor, bakery, etc. A snack or a fancy coffee drink for two costs significantly less than dinner for two at your average restaurant.

38. Take a day trip instead of an overnight trip

The most expensive part of a romantic getaway is the accommodation, so cut that part out by taking a day-long road trip instead. Go somewhere you have never been or return to a place full of favorite memories.

Keep the activities low-cost or free. For example, my husband and I enjoy hiking together, which is often 100% free, although some hiking areas have an entrance fee that is usually minimal. Local theatre production, choir, or orchestra concert tickets in small towns are generally lower priced than in bigger centers. Look for small art galleries or museums, as many offer donation admittance. Check out free roadside attractions such as this giant replica of the Eiffel Tower that my husband and I found in Tennessee.

Pack a meal and plan a place for a picnic. Don’t forget to pack road snacks, too.

39. Go to a matinee instead of a late-night movie

Matinee tickets are often a few dollars cheaper than tickets for evening movies.

40. Use Groupons

Groupon has many more junk offers than it once did, but there are still some hidden gems for activities like scavenger hunts, laser tag, escape rooms, and bowling.

The Ultimate Cheapskate Way To Celebrate The Special Day

41. Celebrate the Day after

Who said that to have a romantic Valentine’s Day, you must celebrate it on the 14th of February? Strike a deal with your thrifty love that you will celebrate the 15th or even the 16th. This will allow you to take advantage of all sorts of after-Valentine’s Day specials like half-price cookies, cupcakes, cake, candy, and more.

Fund Your Valentine’s Day Gifts and Dates Using Free Gift Cards

Point programs are ways to earn money doing things you already do online or you can earn more points by doing things like filling out surveys. They are a great way to earn money in tiny cracks of time. The gift cards you earn add up if you simultaneously participate in a few different programs. I cash out my earnings for Amazon gift cards or PayPal deposits, allowing me to purchase whatever I want with my earnings. You can do the same and buy a gift for your sweetie.

Here are one app and two point reward websites with quick and straightforward ways to earn gift cards.

Upside

If you buy gasoline, you will want to enroll and start using the Upside app, where you can earn gift cards or PayPal deposits by purchasing gas at participating gas stations.

Use my code YG5ZB during sign-up for Upside and get a special offer.

Swagbucks

There were over 25 ways to earn points through Swagbucks the last time I counted. I wrote a post that explains the ten simplest ways to earn gift cards with Swagbucks.

Go here to sign up.

MyPoints

MyPoints is the first point rewards program I ever joined, and I am still a member today over a decade later. They have many ways to earn points, including cash back on online purchases and uploading receipts.