This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
If you are on a tight budget, special holidays like Valentine’s Day can quickly become more stressful than fun. With a little creativity, though, you can make it a special celebration while spending a small amount or nothing at all!
Here are some fun and frugal Valentine’s Day ideas.
Fun and Frugal Valentine’s Day Ideas
Create anticipation
A big part of a fun date is anticipation. One fun idea is to send your spouse an invitation to the date. You could use paper and other craft materials you already have to make a card.
If you aren’t feeling so crafty, you could personalize a free card design or buy valentines from the store. To add a personal touch, you could compose a poem, ask to go on a date with “check yes or no” at the bottom, or even write a sweet message on the fridge with magnetic refrigerator letters.
Be sure to include the time, date, location, and main event. Just remember, the idea is to take the time to make your significant other feel special and build up to the celebration. After you have created your invite, you can leave it somewhere around the house for them to find or tuck it into their briefcase.
If you are having date night at home, it can be fun to make decorations ahead of time, so your home will feel warm and festive on the special day!
Give a frugal gift
With time and planning you can create a special gift for free! One of my favorite ideas is to create a “coupon” booklet. This is a great way to support your spouse/SO and think about what they need or ask for on a daily basis.
You could include coupons for everyday treats like a back massage, a movie night, a foot rub, a car wash, a breakfast in bed, etc. This is a great way to give a gift that is meaningful and useful without actually spending anything!
To save time, you can print these coupons on cardstock, cut them out, tie the booklet with a ribbon and you are done!
Other no-cost gift ideas would be a playlist of songs that mean something to both of you, a jar of 365 reasons why you love them, or if you’re crafty, art you’ve made that they can hang up.
If you are willing to spend $10 or less, you could also give them their favorite dessert, their favorite candy, a small photo book of memories together, or flowers – Valentine’s day classics don’t have to be expensive!
When buying flowers, be sure to look out for daily deals. You can get a voucher for half off, making it a much more affordable gift idea.
Have a date night at home
You can save a lot of money by having date night at home. You could put the kids to bed early and enjoy a night to yourselves.
An easy idea is to cook a special dinner and eat it by candlelight. If you decide on special menu items ahead of time, you can wait for a good sale to save even more.
Another option is to order in and eat picnic-style on the living room floor on top of a blanket. This is a fun way to mix things up!
If you are feeling a little bit more adventurous, you could make fondue. You can go here to see some fun ideas for fondue.
For entertainment, there are many good movies free on streaming services. If you are looking for a more interactive activity, you could go through these free romantic conversation starters.
Dine out in a frugal way
There are tons of ways to enjoy a night out and still save money! I love this option because not having to do dishes makes any day more fun – plus you can get some time away from the kids just to yourselves.
One smart option is to call your favorite restaurants or look on their websites for deals. Many restaurants have special coupons or deals available for Valentine’s Day.
For an very unique Valentine’s Day date, you could actually try Waffle House. Select Waffle House restaurants have Valentine’s Day specials. They’ll decorate for a romantic dinner and serve heart-shaped waffles – you just have to make a reservation ahead of time!
Other fun and frugal date ideas
There are tons of other options if you are looking for something more unique. This can be a great opportunity to do something different together and bond over a new experience.
For example, you could go to a class together. There are classes where you can paint, cook, etc. This can be a great way to learn a new skill together.
If you and your spouse are creative you could do something like paint pottery. You would then have beautiful pieces to display in your house to remind you of your special date.
For a frugal alternative, you could decorate mugs at home with Sharpie markers and then bake on the decorations. You can learn how here. (Just be sure to not run these through the dishwasher!)
For the kids
Valentine’s Day can be fun for the kids, too! To make the day special for them you could give them cards and candy.
If your kids love crafts you could make Valentine’s Day decorations with them. On the day of, a fun breakfast would be pink, heart-shaped pancakes.
For more inspiration, check out my post on Kids Valentine’s Day Ideas.
What are you planning for Valentine’s Day? How do you make it feel special on a budget? Let us know in the comments!
See more frugal living ideas.
