21 Free or Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
Valentine’s Day can be a beautiful opportunity for you and your significant other to celebrate your love. But “beautiful” doesn’t have to mean “expensive.”
Like many other holidays, Valentine’s Day is VERY commercialized. And commercialization means hiked up prices. Suddenly, chocolates and flowers cost an arm and a leg. And don’t get me started on the mark-up on Valentine’s Day menus at restaurants! 🙄
You shouldn’t have to break the bank to celebrate love. So, hear are 21 free or cheap Valentine’s Day ideas to consider.
Free Valentine’s Day Options
1) Make a romantic highlight reel on your phone.
You don’t need any tech expertise to do this. iMovie (or whatever film-making app you have on your phone) makes it really easy! Go through your albums. Choose photos and video clips that reflect special moments in your relationship. Add them to the highlight reel. Then, add some nice music and some text here and there, if you want. It really doesn’t take too much time, but it’s a thoughtful gift to your significant other. And it’s a sentimental way to take a stroll down Memory Lane together.
2) Plan out a future vacation or trip together.
Decide on a place that you both would love to go at some point in the future. Then, start doing some of the fun parts of planning. Think about and even research some interesting things to do in that place. Talk about what foods you’d like to try there. You can even start looking up nice places to stay while you’re there. This is a great way to dream together, and it gives you something to look forward to!
3) Write a heartfelt letter.
We don’t always express all the things we love and appreciate about our significant others. So, a letter may seem really basic. But it’s a great opportunity to reflect on all the amazing things about the love of your life. In your letter, you can include the things that make your partner special, the ways they’ve changed your life for the better, the things you look forward to with them in the future. This is a special way to let your significant other know how much they mean to you.
4) Take a virtual trip to another country.
Choose a country to “visit” from home. Then, search for some good travel vlogs on YouTube. Some travel vloggers create videos that almost make you feel like you’re right there in the country with them. My all-time favorite travel vlogging couples is Kara and Nate. They’ve visited over 100 countries. So chances are, whatever country you and your partner choose, they have a vlog (or several) about it. This Valentine’s Day idea is a great way to enjoy an adventure from your couch. And it might even motivate you to actually visit the country some day! ✈️
5) Have a goal-setting date.
Now, hear me out. This shouldn’t be a super serious, intense experience. Make a date out of setting fun and creative goals with your significant other. Are you both really into working out? Set fitness goals together. Do you both enjoy traveling? Create a goal for visiting a certain number of states or countries within the next X amount of years. Maybe you’re both tired of eating the same things again and again. Set a goal to master a certain number of new recipes. Think of exciting goals! Working towards shared goals can really help strengthen your relationship. Okay, I’m done typing the word “goals.” 😅
6) Spark discussion using conversation-starters for couples.
Google “conversation-starters for couples.” You can find lists of questions designed to get couples reflecting, reminiscing, and opening up to one another. Conversation-starters are great for encouraging dialogue between you and your Valentine. And if the two of you have been together forever, they can get you talking when you thought there was nothing new to talk about.
7) Take a literal trip down Memory Lane.
Hop in the car and drive around to all the local places that have significance in your love story. This could include where you met, where you’ve gone on special dates, where you first said “I love you,” where something really funny happened, or where your fiancé or spouse proposed! As you drive to each location, park the car and take time to reminisce on why that particular place is special.
8) Create a bucket list of experiences together.
Think through and write down all the different things you’d love to do with your partner. Take a hot air balloon ride? Run a half-marathon? Be a part of a studio audience? Take a cross-country road trip? Ride a camel? Brainstorm as many different experiences as you can, big or small. Then, enjoy crossing off at least some of them in the future! 😃
9) Have a couples game night.
You can do this between just the two of you. Or, you can get together with other couples. Either way, enjoy some fun games together. You can even stick with a Valentine’s Day theme by playing games geared towards couples. Speaking of which…
10) Prepare for the Newlywed Game.
Think through and ask each other some of those random questions that couples are asked on The Newlywed Game show. Take turns guessing how the other person would answer. This is great way to see how well you know each other and learn some new things about each other. Honestly, here’s the best part: If you ever play a newlywed-type game with other couples, your “prep work” will probably help you to earn some easy points. 😉
11) Have a movie night at home.
This one’s a classic. There are so many streaming platforms out there. You have countless free movies available to you. Pick a movie together, pop some popcorn, snuggle up, and enjoy the film! 🍿🎥
12) Go window-shopping with a purpose.
Go to stores together, and pick out things you like. As you do this, each person can make a note of what the other is into. That way, you both have plenty of inspiration for future gift ideas. 🎁 You can even make it into a fun guessing game! For example, pick out 3 variations of a certain item. Then, have your significant other guess which one you actually like.
13) Volunteer together.
Choose a service opportunity that’s near and dear to both your hearts. Volunteering at a nursing home? Cleaning up a park? Serving food at a soup kitchen? Serving the community is a great opportunity to make a difference together and bond with each other in the process.
14) Use your cashback rewards.
If you have cashback rewards on your credit card, use them! You and your significant other can challenge yourselves: Figure out something to do for Valentine’s Day that costs no more than the cashback rewards you have. Then, you can use your cashback rewards to cover the cost. Just remember to apply those rewards to your next credit card payment! 💳
Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
15) Cook together instead of going out to eat.
Decide on a Valentine’s Day menu together. Find the recipes you’ll need. Shop for your ingredients. Then, create a delicious meal together! And if you really want to spice things up (pun intended 😉), challenge yourselves with something neither of you have ever cooked or eaten before!
16) Take an online cooking class together.
While we’re talking about cooking, another option is to take an online cooking class together. You’ll spend much less money than if you were to do an in-person cooking class or eat at a restaurant. And since the cooking instructor guides you step-by-step, there’s less room for error. So, you can (probably) be confident that your meal will come out tasty! 🍴
17) Have a cooking or baking competition.
Okay, this is the last cooking idea. If you and your honey are into friendly competition, have a cook-off or bake-off with each other. Imitate the set-up and rules from a cooking competition show. Grab your ingredients, start the timer, and go!
18) Have a wine-tasting at home.
Buy a few different bottles of wine (that fit within your budget). Purchase a few snacks to complement your wine. At home, set up your wine-tasting and create an ambiance. Then, sample each wine, comparing the colors, aromas, and flavors.🍷
19) Have a picnic in the park or on the beach.
Another classic. Buy whatever food you want for your picnic. Then, choose a relaxing, scenic spot to enjoy your picnic and connect with your significant other. Voilà!
20) Use Groupon.
We all know Groupon has tons of deals. Groupon is great because it offers deals on activities you might not normally consider…like axe-throwing or a dance class. Find something you’ll enjoy doing with your Valentine at a discounted rate!
21) Celebrate the day after.
As I already mentioned, prices are hiked up on Valentine’s Day. So, go against the grain! Choose to celebrate your love the day after. Then you can pay normal (or even discounted) prices for things and still share something special with the love of your life. After all, you don’t love your honey any less just because it’s not Feb. 14th anymore.
So, there you have it. Twenty-one Valentine’s Day ideas that won’t break the bank. You don’t have to spend a lot to celebrate with your significant other. 😍
Which of these ideas will you try for Valentine’s Day? Share in the comments below!
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