Showing your love doesn't have to be expensive. Here are some Valentine's Day ideas that won't break the bank. Nowadays I believe putting some thought and time into gifts is much more important than how much you spend.... what are the gentlemen's plans for Wednesday? 1. Watch a bargain matinee movie. Follow it with a romantic walk. Bring a picnic basket with food made from home. 2. Visit a local botanical garden. Follow it with a visit to your local farmer's market. While you're there, grab a bouquet of flowers. 3. Pack a lunch for you and your date and head off of to the beach or the lake for the day. Bring a ball or Frisbee to play with. 4. Enjoy a free outdoor concert (if you're living in temperate climates). Pack a bottle of wine or champagne and some cheese and bread for a romantic evening outdoors. 5. Spend the day window shopping at your favorite shopping center. End the date with a trip to an ice cream parlor to share a hot fudge sundae. 6. Scour your local paper or event guides for 2-for-1 dinner coupons to your favorite restaurants. Complete the evening with a moonlit stroll in the park. 7. Attend a free class on something you both will enjoy. 8. Visit an art museum, and then complete the date with conversation over coffee. 9. Go on a wine-tasting tour at local wineries. 10. View a city guide or look through your yellow pages and find local farms in your area. Go pick herbs at an herbal garden or visit a local animal farm. 11. Find out what shows, expos or conventions are in town and arrange to see one that you and your date would enjoy. 12. Find an event that you and your date could volunteer in to help a cause you both believe in. 13. Go to a large bookstore and spend time browsing the books and magazines. If you check ahead of time, you may be able to catch a local author's reading or live music event. 14. Get a map of your city, pack a meal and drive around looking at possible dream homes. When you run across a park, stop and have your meal. 15. Buy a disposable camera and take photos of each other in different places. When the film is developed, create a scrapbook or pick two favorites and frame them. 16. Find 2-for-1 coupons for a local theater or arts event. Afterwards, visit a free art museum or expo. 17. Think of something you're both interested in finding out about and then research it at your library. Have a competition to see who can dig up the most interesting or obscure piece of information. 18. Visit your city's historical centers. Find out how your city was originated and other historical facts. 19. Find a local street fair or city fair and make plans to attend. 20. Get 2-for-1 passes to your local zoo or animal park and make a day of it. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at the park.
I cooked for V=Day. It saved a lot of money and enabled me to pull out some of best wine, stuff I never could have afforded at a restaurant.
