When you’re in college, Valentine’s Day can seem like a slightly daunting task. Most of us work low paying, part-time jobs while juggling twelve plus hours of courses a week. Add rent and bills for some, and suddenly you’ve got maybe ten to twenty dollars extra a week to work with. If you’re super efficient, you have savings. If you’re like most people I know, including myself, you’re essentially living the college version of paycheck to paycheck. If you’ve got a Valentine to treat this year and your budget sounds similar to the lifestyle mentioned above, you couldn’t go wrong with something lowkey that still shows you care. Check out the ideas below to have a romantic, cost-effective Valentine’s Day date night with your partner!
1. Movie Night In – An Upgraded Netflix and ChillYou can’t go wrong with a movie night – especially in terms of your wallet. If you have a Netflix subscription, you have access to hundreds of movies. Pick a movie, have it ready to press play, and stock up on some snacks. If you can swing it, grab a pizza or some sort of dinner, light a few candles, and put up some lights to make the setting extra special. This little night in will save you money while still showing you made an effort to do something different from your regular date night plans!
2. Dinner for Two – Cooked by You
Even if cooking isn’t your best skill, working on a recipe with your partner can be lots of fun. Before they come over, get on Pinterest and find something you’d both enjoy! Grab the recipe, get the ingredients, and have everything ready to go for your date. Once they’re there, have fun cooking together by playing some music and dancing around or just talking about anything and everything. For that Valentine’s Day aesthetic, if you can swing it, have some cute decorations out that make the setting romantic – try Target’s dollar section in the front of their stores or the Dollar Store for little things like this. This date is a simple way to have a low-cost meal and some fun with your partner.
3. Hike with a Scenic Picnic Ending
If your partner likes the outdoors, a hike costs basically nothing. If anything, you might have to pay a parking fee at a national park or something of that nature, but you definitely should not be breaking the bank here. To make the hike special, pack a picnic (food costs at your discretion) and some flowers. Once you get up to a scenic spot, set up your picnic and enjoy the views and each other’s company. This date is super cost effective and super guaranteed to make your nature-loving partner happy.
4. Coffee, Art, and Music – A Perfect Trio If your partner is more of the artsy type, try a simple lowkey coffee shop date. Most local coffee shops have art and even live music, but if you don’t have access to one of these, a Starbucks works just as well! Grab some coffee and talk for a while, and to incorporate art, you could draw each other or draw each other pictures. All you need is a pen and paper – or fancy art materials if you wish. To further this date, you could hit up a record store and shop around or head home and show each other music and do a craft of some sort. If art is their thing, you’re sure to please by showing them you care about their interests and want to enjoy them too!
5. Spa Night – Face Masks, Bath Bombs, Nail Painting, etc.
If you have your own apartment with a bathtub, this idea may be the one for you. Bath bombs are super easy to acquire since Lush has blown up – and they even have their own Valentine’s Day line out now. If you can’t afford this or don’t have time to wait for shipping, you can even find bath bombs and bubbles in some Walmarts and drugstores. Pick up some of these (usually around $7-10), some snacks, a few facemasks ($1-3 at most drugstores), and maybe even some nail care stuff if your partner is into that. With your supplies, set up a cute Spa Night and have your partner over to enjoy. You’ll get to bond while doing something different and bonus – your skin will thank you too!
This is not a conclusive list by any means, but it’s a good place to start. Whether you go with one of these, a combo of a few, or your own unique lowkey idea – the effort you put into this while still not spending too much will definitely show your partner you care and want to do something special for them!