Money Saving Mom®

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. These affordable Valentine’s ideas show simple, thoughtful ways to celebrate love without spending a lot.

So, I have a confession to make. Are you ready for this?

I’m just not a big fan of what my husband and I call “Hallmark holidays.” Sure, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, but making a big to-do for Valentine’s Day just isn’t my thing.

This isn’t because I don’t love to show my husband and family how much they mean to me. Truth be told, it’s the exact opposite: I think it’s silly to only reserve roses and hearts and love notes for one day of the year. Instead, I think we should be celebrating Valentine’s Day every day of the year because every day is a day to show love to the wonderful people in our lives.

With this in mind, instead of sharing fun and cute ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share some frugal but very meaningful ways to celebrate your Valentine — either actually on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year! If you’re not married or in a relationship, you can tweak these ideas to apply to your children, a friend, or another relative.

Affordable Ways to Celebrate Your Valentine

1. Write a Love Note

When was the last time you wrote a note to your Valentine telling them how much you appreciate, admire, and love them? It might be one of the most simple ideas in the book, but writing a love note can also be one of the most long-lasting and appreciated.

The note doesn’t have to be long — and it doesn’t even have to be hand written! You can send a text, spell it in Scrabble letters, type up the note, write an email, or use a dry erase marker to write on your bathroom mirror. Your method of writing it doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it comes from your heart. To make things a little more fun, consider hiding a note somewhere unexpected or leaving a trail of little love notes around the house.

2. Express Words of Gratitude

We all need to hear how much we are appreciated more often. Can I encourage you to be looking every day for something to thank your Valentine for?

Whether it’s that they ran an errand for you, picked up their socks, helped you with a project, or just have faithfully stood by your side through thick and thin. You never know how much a word of thanks can make someone’s day.

Want to take this a step further? Praise character that you appreciate instead of just saying thank you for actions done. Tell your Valentine how much you admire their patience, their hard work, or their amazing ability.

Don’t flatter and don’t lie, but you can come up with something to praise in just about everyone. Look for it and then let them know. It will likely mean the world to them!

3. Make a Love-Themed Meal

Celebrate your Valentine by coming up with creative Valentine-themed twists on their favorite foods. For instance, cut the strawberries in a fruit salad into hearts, shape the pepperoni on the homemade pizza into hearts (or make heart-shaped pizza), make heart-shaped pancakes or cinnamon rolls, or even Valentine’s-themed bacon.

Reader Abby who blogs at Winstead Wanderings suggests you could also recreate a meal you used to enjoy when you were first dating or married. This is such a fun idea! 

4. Give Them a “Choose Your Own Adventure” Date

Last year for Jesse’s 45th birthday, I gave him a Choose Your Own Adventure Day and it was SO much fun! 

I came up with a number of different options of where we could go and things we could do and then he got to choose from them. It included a whole lot of yummy food and time together, and I loved it too!

Especially if you usually enjoy different things, your Valentine will find it so special to choose their favorite foods and activities — and you might be surprised how much you enjoy it too! 

5. Help Them Get Alone Time

As busy parents, alone time to recharge is precious. Giving your Valentine the gift of a quiet walk, time where they aren’t needed, or a chance to sit peacefully with a cup of coffee and a good book communicates, “I see how much you give. You matter, and you deserve some rest.”

6. Talk a Walk Down Memory Lane

This idea is from Abby from Winstead Wanderings. She says, “If your relationship is anything like mine, it has evolved over the years. The new and exciting affection of the early years has been replaced by a deep, steady love born out of confronting the raw realities of life together. That transition is natural and necessary.

“I wouldn’t trade the lessons we’ve learned or the way we’ve grown with each other for anything, but it’s easy to get caught up in the details of day-to-day life. Sometimes it’s nice to remember the people we were when we fell in love… This February 14, dig out those old photo albums and love notes. Remind yourselves of the reasons you fell in love.”

If you’ve lived in your area for awhile, you could also drive past previous houses or visit special places you frequented early on in your relationship, all while remembering what it was like when you first fell in love and how far you’ve come together.

7. Speak Their Love Language

While I don’t like to box people into specific categories, every person has a unique love language. This is the way that they feel loved most.

If you’re unfamiliar with the five love languages, they are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. In many cases, you’ll be a mix of a few of these, but you’ll almost always have one that is dominant. If you’re not sure what your love language is, you can take this quiz here (and be sure to have your Valentine take it, too!).

Once you know what someone else’s love language is, it really helps you to be able to demonstrate love to them in a manner that means the most. For instance, my dominant love language is Words of Affirmation. It means the world to me when Jesse tells me how much he appreciates me and how proud he is of me. This speaks love to me much more than buying something for me does.

Jesse’s love language is quality time. It’s very important to him that we spend time together and just be together — without me acting rushed or like I’m busy. As a Type A person who does not have the love language of quality time, it’s been a learning experience for me to figure out that just being with him is extremely meaningful to him.

So if I want to bless Jesse, I express my desire to just spend time with him with no agenda in mind. And then I follow through with it. This means more to him than any gifts or acts of service ever could mean.

8. Plan a Frugal Date

Going on a date with your Valentine doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, many of our most special and memorable dates over the years have been the simplest ones — especially during our early marriage and law-school days, when our budget was very tight. We learned how to enjoy time together without spending much at all.

Coffee dates, library visits, walks, unhurried conversations, or laughing together at home can strengthen your marriage just as much as an expensive dinner out — and often will be more memorable!

That’s why I created this FREE printable — 65+ Frugal Date Night Ideas for Couples! Download it for simple, fun, and frugal date ideas you can actually fit into real life — whether you have a full evening or just a few minutes after the kids are in bed.

However you choose to celebrate your Valentine, remember that a little intention and a lot of love go much further than an expensive price tag. With love and creativity, you can have a budget-friendly Valentine’s Day that’s truly memorable!

More Affordable Valentine’s Day Inspiration:

• Free Date Ideas That Help You Stay Connected (Without Spending Money)
• REAL TALK: When It’s Hard to Prioritize Your Marriage
• Answering Your Burning Questions on Marriage
• How to Effectively Talk to Your Spouse About Money
• Grab a Valentine’s Day Gift for Your Teen with These Deals!
• Frugal Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Kids

What are your favorite affordable Valentine’s ideas?