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Wellness > Sex + Relationships

7 Nearly Free Valentine’s Day Date Alternatives

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter.

Valentine’s Day is a well known holiday for themed shopping, spending time with your beau, and complaints from single people. One thing they all have in common is spending the day celebrating in a special way. If you are trying to celebrate the holiday of love on a budget, this article is for you. 

Dinner at home

One of the most common money savers on date nights is to have a date night in. Stay home to have that fancy dinner. It’s likely you have a nice table cloth and candles lying around somewhere. If that doesn’t feel like enough of a date, make a whole plan of it.  Dressing up, drinking some wine or champagne, putting the phones aside, and the dishes can wait until tomorrow.

Movie marathon

We all love movies and a holiday is a perfect excuse to binge-watch them. You can watch movies on the streaming platform of your choice that you already pay for, pick some up from the library, or even rent one for a few dollars. Either way, you can access your favorite romance and cuddle up with your significant other. Don’t forget the popcorn!

 

Arts and crafts

Yes, this idea can seem a little unpopular, but it’s what you make of it. Many adults are very busy with their lives and many things get pushed off to a later date. If you are sharing your space with someone and know plants need hung, an item of furniture built, or you just want to update the feng shui, now would be a perfect time! Of course, this date idea is for those who love the TLC channel and DIY. 

Games

The traditional board game or puzzle nights have gotten buried in our fast-paced, digital lives. One thing that brings most back to their childhoods is playing games! If you haven’t built up your board game collection yet, that is completely fine. You can borrow from friends, search for other card game ideas, or access games online. Add comfy clothes and your boo, then you’re all set!

Go giftless

This one can be hard for some people to step away from. Valentine’s Day is common for spoiling your significant other to try and show how much you care, but that price tag can go very high. This year, try the many other ways to show your affection by writing a letter, cleaning the house, drawing a candlelit bath, and providing a relaxing and loving environment. There are many ways to show you care about someone other than what is shown through gifts. 

Community events

Depending on where you live, this may or may not apply to you. Cities or college campuses are more creative and active in creating events. Check your local listings if there are any free or inexpensive events that are open to the public to attend. Often times there are outdoor or small vendor events throughout the community. 

Become a tourist in your community

This one goes hand in hand with planning a picnic or going for a romantic walk. Except you can make it more official by setting a plan. Whether or not you have lived in an area for a long time, it’s likely there’s something you haven’t done or seen. Take this day to create a plan to do that fun thing you’ve been thinking about. 

Junior at Ohio University studying Management Information Systems and Business Analytics. Member of the Select Leaders Development Program in the College of Business. I enjoy using writing as a way to express my thoughts in an informal way and to help others with the little things in life.