Valentine’s Day can be stressful for everyone. In a relationship or not, there is always the question of what you will do come February 14th. There’s no reason being on a student budget should ruin this, so, here’s a few tips for making it a great day without breaking the bank.
Homemade gifts
Sock puppets, photo collages, button ornaments, they’re all cute and inexpensive gifts your significant other will love, and the homemade aspect adds a lot of romance. ‘Love Tokens’ is a great gift for V- Day; tie a ribbon around hand written ‘tokens’ giving your SO a pass such as to choose the movie on date night, and voila, you have an almost free gift.
Homemade cards
We all know the ludicrous prices that card shops are setting now, so save yourself a few pounds and make a card out of whatever you have at home. It will be appreciated a lot more than a store bought one. For instructions on how to make a great 3D kissing card, follow the link below. But if you’re dead set on a store card, why not try Moonpig? Personalised cards always go down well, and with Moonpig you can order them the day before Valenetine’s and they’ll still get to you for the 14th. So no excuses!
Cooking dinner
Cooking together can be a romantic way to spend the evening, and as Tesco are doing ‘love steaks’ and a range of sharing desserts, it doesn’t require as much skill as you may think. Having a candle-lit meal, then settling on the floor covered with blankets and watching a film is definitely cheaper and easier than a restaurant and the cinema! A tip? Opening up an ironing board but keeping it low to the ground can serve as a table if you don’t have one. You may still be sitting on the floor, but it will make it a bit classier than eating off the floor, especially if you put a throw over the ironing board.
Baking
There are thousands of recipes on the internet to make cookies or muffins easily, and especially at this time of year it’s very easy to find heart shaped everything (seriously. Those Tesco heart shaped steaks?). Alternatively, buy some writing icing and ice letters onto cupcakes or a message onto a big cake. Get creative!
The Wheel of Nottingham
Fancy going out and doing something a bit different? Taking a ride on the the Wheel of Nottingham in the city centre is something slightly different to the usual Valentine’s dates, and what is more romantic than a night time view of a city we all love? And as it’s only £5 for students, you could even go for a few drinks afterwards.
Night Out
If you’re dead set on the idea of going out, then Forum in Nottingham is free entry before 11. It could be an opportunity for you and your other half to have a few drinks and let your hair down, particularly if you haven’t been dating very long. Alternatively, if you’re single it could be an opportunity to have a fun night and maybe even find the person you’ll be spending next Valentine’s Day with!
Sources:
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/origami-valentine.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/mindhut/2012/01/31/valentines-day-for-broke-people
Edited by Mackenzie Orrock