Here are some tips for saving money on Valentine's Day.
I have noticed that a lot of "red" clothing items are marked down during after Christmas sales. However red is also for Valentine's Day too. Just today, I bought a beautiful red sequined sweater originally $49.95 for $9.99. Perfect for Valentine's Day. Happy Hunting.
By Monica Adam
For a frugal Valentine gift to your honey, make a favorite meal that they enjoy. Then have their favorite movies ready (I get them at the library or rent them). Or any movie that is special to the both of you--like the movie you saw on your first date together.
By Diane from Paradise PA
My husband likes a "traditional" breakfast; coffee, toast, bacon and eggs. For Valentine's, I use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart out of slices of bread. I toast the shapes as usual and use the bread slices (buttered) to make fried eggs-in-the-hole. He always gets a kick out of it.
By Kerry
Instead of making brownies in a brownie pan make them in individual heart shaped pans and frost them with pink frosting. Happy Valentine's day to you all.
Joesgirl
Make your favorite chocolate chip recipe, but instead of making them drop cookies, pat the dough into a baking sheet (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch high) and bake. Cool in the pan, and use heart-shaped cookie cutters for the cookies. If you want, decorate with frosting. Also, you can put them on lollipop sticks, or even better, bamboo skewers for long-stemmed chocolate chip cookies!
Also, chocolate lollipops are EASY! Just melt the chocolate (it doesn't have to be for dipping- good quality chips will do without having to add anything else, like wax or shortening) in a double boiler or defrost in the microwave. Make sure it does not scorch in the microwave. Lollipop molds & sticks are CHEAP, and molds don't have to be greased.
I put this recipe in heart shaped lollipop molds, and it turned out SO CUTE!
Mix together first three ingredients, add powdered sugar. Mix until all sugar is incorporated. Form into small balls.
Melt some chocolate (chocolate chips are fine). Put some chocolate into the bottom of some small paper candy cups. Put a peanut butter ball in the cup and fill the cup with chocolate. Refrigerate until set.
By Marie
Last year my husband gave me a huge valentine! He took a can of red spray paint and painted "I Love You" surrounded by a heart on the snow in our front yard. I loved it; nobody else on the block had a valentine greeting like it! The snow melted a few days later, and the paint did not damage the lawn.
By Nancy S.
One very lean year when I was a stay-at-home mom of 6 kids in grade school and younger, I took pink office paper and construction paper, and made 21 large hearts, and numbered and decorated each one, and underneath wrote a reason why I love my husband. I think the hearts got bigger as the number grew, and he was sent on a fun hunt throughout the house to find all the valentines. What a lovely evening that was. ;o)
By Kim
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I already have my children's Valentine's Day gifts. I bought things during the after Christmas sales.
Our school system does not allow homemade goodies to be sent to school....only storebought. It's to protect the children and it really doesn't bother me. It may cost more to buy something from the store but it saves me time and is more convenient for me.
One gift that will cost you not one penny, since no amount of money can buy it...a love letter to your sweetheart. And, I don't mean just a new boyfriend. I did this for my husband one Valentine's Day. We had been married for 35 years. He said that it meant more than any gift I had ever given him. We have now been married for almost 49 years, and I believe it is time to write another!
Last year for hubby's birthday, he was working nights & would be getting home at 4:30 am. I took a bunch of scraps of paper (you could cut a bunch of hearts & do this for valentines or any holiday, really). We each took turns writing what we love about daddy.. "I love you because ... you play video games with me... give me the day off on Sundays by making us dinner, even if it is leftovers". Make my coffee every morning, help with laundry, clean the bathrooms, the kids had help me get dressed, read to me, play wrestling with me..."
They can come up with all kinds of stuff even at a young age, & then I took each one taped it in respective places, coffee pot one by coffee pot, laundry one by laundry etc.
So when he came in he saw the first one & then he said he got all excited when he opened the laundry room door & went to make my coffee & there was another & he realized they were all over the house so he started doing this fun little hunt by himself. He was thrilled. We then took them all, had the kids glue them onto construction paper & made a little book for him, & signed their names. It also, helped me appreciate just how much he does for me & our family; even the little things, like taking the trash to the dump.
We are staying home this year and my husband has a free pass on gift giving. BUT we decided to write each other letters. We haven't done that in years! We both have put a lot of time into our letters and I can't wait to read his come Valentine's Day XOX! I usually buy my children small gifts as well, but this year I am going to write them letters as well that they can read out loud over our "romantic" family dinner. We are going to splurge and use the champagne glasses to drink our sparkling cider!
Here is a great place to get other money saving tips for Valentine's Day
www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com/
I just don't think Valentine's day is that expensive to begin with. I always get dollar store stuffed animals and some candy no more than say 10 dollars. How cheap do we really want things?
Re: Japanese traditions
While it's true that women (and girls) give men (and boys) chocolate and the like for Valentine's Day, you forgot to mention White Day! :)
White Day is when the males give chocolates to the females:
www.tanutech.com/
This year, I saved a large oatmeal canister & covered it with Valentine paper then I stacked in large fresh cookies, popped on the top & gave it to our teenage grandson. Our other grandkids live away, so I can't do that for them. They get a little gift card in the mail.
I know that especially with Valentine's Day right around the corner, I will need all the extra savings I can get so I thought I'd share a site I stumbled across the other day that gives me money when I shop or sell through Ebay and also when I shop major retailers online. It's called Big Crumbs. It's free (of course). Don't we all love a good deal? Check it out: www.bigcrumbs.com/
What I'll be doing this year is I get a box of silk rose petals (under $2.00) at a craft, #1.00, Walmart or Target store. They come in colors other than red too. For ambiance, light a beautiful candle and spread a dusting of petals on your bed. For a pretty theme, add a few petals on the dining room table for decoration with a home-cooked Valentine's meal. Petals add a little mystery...If you want them scented, spray lightly your favorite perfume to each petal before displaying them on your bed. Make a trail of petals up the stairs...perfect for romance! So, have fun this Valentine's Day! Even on a budget! :)
I will make my sweetie these peanut butter cups, yum! We have a low key Valentine's Day and that is what I prefer. He gets me a card and I get him one. I love my cards he picks them out so carefully.
I shop for red for Valentine's AND green after Christmas. Guess what's coming- St. Patrick's Day!
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