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Celebrating Our First Valentine’s Day Married

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First Valentine's Day Married

Recently, it seems more people are boycotting Valentine’s Day. In fact, businesses have begun to capitalize on it by offering “Galentine’s Day” events or “anti-Valentine’s” activities. Even though it appears many of the people in our generation aren’t a huge fan of the holiday, my husband and I are. This year, we are celebrating our fourth Valentine’s Day together and our first Valentine’s married. Here’s how we are celebrating…

Celebrating Our First Valentine’s Day Married

So, first, we splurged on one another a bit. Altogether, we spent $300 on each other for the holiday, but we don’t get to do that very often and we’ve both been hustling to be able to afford it. On Valentine’s, I’ll be headed to the spa for a couple of hours, thanks to my hubby. His gift from me was his first flying lesson (yay).

On the 14th, unlike many other couples, we won’t be headed out for a fancy dinner or anything extravagant. Instead, we will be hanging out at home. I’m going to make one of Drew’s favorite meals and we are going to watch movies (see my list of frugal date ideas here). I also have his favorite dessert planned. Otherwise, it’ll be a nice, quiet night at home.

Why Celebrating Your Relationship is Important

I know some of you are probably reading this like, “Amanda, $300 on Valentine’s Day, really?” It is definitely a splurge for us both, but something we haven’t gotten to do recently with financial struggles we’ve faced. Also, as I mentioned, we both took on a little side work to be able to afford a little splurge for the holiday.

This is because we both believe celebrating our relationship is important to maintain it. Also, being able to celebrate each other and milestones in our relationship helps us look at the big picture. Instead of focusing on whatever else is going on in our lives, we stop and take a second to just enjoy one another and celebrating us.

So, even if you don’t have much of a budget for Valentine’s (or no budget at all), be sure you take a moment to really appreciate and celebrate those you love. Doing so can strengthen your relationships and help you remember what’s important to you.

Readers, what are your plans for the romantic holiday? 

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10 Frugal Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day

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frugal date ideas

Part of being on a debt-free journey means finding ways to cut costs and spend less. With Valentine’s Day coming up, my hubby and I are brainstorming ways to celebrate. Here are a few frugal date ideas we’ve come up with.

Frugal Date Ideas for Every Couple

We both have trouble not spending money on each other. When we have extra cash, we love buying one another gifts and treating each other to something special. However, this can cause serious budgeting issues. Because of this, we’ve had to get a little creative to save money.

1. Make Pizzas at Home

Something my husband and I love to do is make pizza at home for date night. It only takes about 25 minutes and keeps you from spending too much eating out or ordering in. Plus, we have a great recipe that keeps costs low too.

For the dough: 

  • 1/2 cup of greek yogurt
  • 2/3 cup of self-rising flour

Mix these together to form pizza dough (it makes a single-serve pizza). Roll the dough out on a floured pan and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Take the baked dough out of the oven, add sauce and your desired toppings. Put the pizza back in for an additional 15 minutes.

2. Pillow Fort Movie Night

Because we are kids at heart, we still enjoy a good pillow fort. The best thing about that is it literally costs nothing. We also have Amazon Prime and other subscriptions that don’t cost us anything extra. So, we can pitch our pillow fort, curl up and watch a new movie or binge a TV series. Super cheap and so much fun!

3. Play Games

Both my husband and I love to play cards. We also own several video games we can play together. Find a game you both enjoy, buy it (and some snacks) and just play around for the evening. If you’re competitive with each other, like we are, you can even hold small tournaments. It can be great fun.

4. Go Hiking

I love going for a good hike or a nice walk. Grab your significant other and head outside. Walk around your neighborhood, drive to the park, or find a nearby trail to hike. It is a great way to spend time together and chat.

5. Get Ice Cream

Ice cream is personally a favorite treat of mine. If you live close to a creamery, set out on a walk for some ice cream. You can also hop in the car and grab a sundae to split. Either way, ice cream is a delicious and frugal date.

6. Find a View and Enjoy it Together

This is one of my favorite frugal date ideas and something we do on a regular basis. Normally, we grab food at a drive-thru (usually super cheap) and drive somewhere with a great view. We eat together in the car, listen to a podcast or show, talk, and enjoy our surroundings.

7. Head to the Dog Park

frugal date ideas

You all know we have a pup who loves going on walks and being social with other dogs. If you’re a dog lover too, consider heading to the dog park for a date. You and your partner can enjoy the company of all the dogs, get your pet some exercise, and meet other people. It is a fun date that you can do completely for free.

8. Have a Nerf Gun War

Nerf guns are fairly cheap and something you can keep around. Grab a pair of guns (and ammo) and stage a war in your home or outside. This is unbelievably fun and relatively cheap as far as dates go.

9. Scope Out Free Things in Your Area

Chances are, there is something free going on nearby. Look for festivals, fairs, museums, and free events to visit. You and your partner will be able to walk around the event, have fun, and spend little-to-no money.

10. Treat Each Other to Massages

Massage oil can be purchased fairly cheaply. All you need is that and a couple of candles to set the mood. Treating one another to massages can be romantic and give you a chance to talk to your spouse or significant other about their day.

Readers, do you have any fun frugal date ideas you enjoy on a regular basis? Share them with me in the comments. 

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