Five Budget-Friendly Valentine’s Day Dates

Weddings are expensive, and it’s a wise idea to start saving where you can. With Valentine’s Day coming up, you may feel pressured to spend some extra money on your honey- but don’t! We have a few ideas for those couples who may be saving up for the big day, or just like to be romantic on a budget.

Netflix Picnics

This could be particularly nice if you’re in a colder area right now. Stock up on your honey’s favorite treats, grab a gigantic blanket, and pop open a nice bottle. Go back and forth throwing on your favorite episodes of your guilty pleasure shows (but be sure to keep it light- no need for drama on Valentine’s Day!) and noshing on candy. You can even order pizza and make a night of it. It’s a romantic, intimate, and light-hearted way to spend Valentine’s Day.

Show Deals

Check out sites like Groupon and LivingSocial for any deals on a pair of tickets to local shows. Local theaters and venues love discount sites because it helps get their name out and fill seats.  Comedy clubs and magic venues often have deals for tickets and even package deals that could include food and/or drinks. You can try to schedule something fun on the fourteenth, or pick up a voucher and hang on to it for a later date.

Hit the Arcade

Take the morning off of work and hit up the arcade and mini golf course before the kids get out of school. Pretend you’re high school sweethearts and challenge each other to skee ball (bonus points if you get enough tickets to win a giant stuffed bear!). Light competition is flirty and fun, plus you get to play games you won’t even have realized you missed. Just be sure to be out of the place by three- you don’t want to end up in a line behind actual high school sweethearts just to play whack-a-mole.

Volunteer

It may not be the most romantic or extravagant way to spend Valentine’s Day, but if you’re not into mushy dates this could be a great experience for you. Local shelters and soup kitchens do their best to get as many volunteers as possible, and today could be a great day to volunteer as a team. Working together creates stronger bonds and that ‘feel good’ feeling will make you both feel happy and satisfied with your time.

Go on Safari

It may feel a little silly, but when you look back you’ll both be guaranteed to love it. Grab a camera and go on a selfie safari through your favorite parts of your city. Go to the spot of your first kiss, your favorite bar or park, wherever you went on your first date and snap and smooch away. You can print them out and hang them up as souvenirs, or get creative and make a photo album of your day together. These pictures would also be perfect to use for any announcements, or in a wedding slideshow.

 Author’s Note: HUGE thank you to BHL reader Thomas McLaughlin for giving permission to the author for using his photos. Happy Valentine’s Day, Thomas!