It’s that time of year again when the shops bombard us with all things sugar and spice. Valentine’s Day is upon us this week!
People have been celebrating Valentine’s day for centuries and commemorate the original romancer St Valentine who was martyred on February 14th.
Just when our bank accounts have recovered from the Christmas expenses now is the time to go and show the important people in our lives how much we care about them using chocolates and flowers.
When money is tight many people can feel the pressure of trying to show their love for their partner by spending out on tokens of love!
However, showing someone how much you love them doesn’t always have to cost the earth.
14 Free Valentine’s Day Ideas
Here at QM HQ we’ve put together some free ideas to make Valentine’s Day special. We did ask around the office for some ideas – that didn’t work so we resorted to google! You can thank us later!
1) Cover the room with love-note filled balloons for your significant other to pop.
Cut little slivers of paper and write down all the things you love about your partner or about you as a couple. Fill empty balloons with as many rolled-up notes as you want, and then blow up the balloons and spread them all over the room. Once the balloons are popped, your little love-note surprises will be there waiting.
2) Bundle up with blankets and warm drinks, and go on a walk to watch the sunset.
It might be chilly outside, but nothing is more romantic than cuddling up in front of a sunset view.
3) Build a cosy blanket fort for an all-day movie marathon.
Set up yours in front of the TV, make some popcorn, and cuddle up to watch movies for as long as you want.
4) Cover your significant other’s mirror with Post-it notes listing all the things you love about him/her.
Make a heart shape with the notes, or spell out something fun and cute.
5) Turn off all the lamps and overhead lights, and have a candlelit night instead.
What is more romantic than candles? Whether you have plans to cook a nice meal, watch a movie, or just hang out, do so with a bunch of candles lit. They will instantly make the ambiance of the room feel more romantic and special.
6) Surprise your loved one with breakfast in bed.
The old Classic – no need to spend hours making an elaborate meal. Raid your pantry and fridge, and whip up something easy (scrambled eggs are always good) but special. Bonus points for any food you can make into a heart shape.
7) Fill a jar with future date-night ideas.
It is easy to fall into the same old routine when going on dates, so add creativity to your relationship by brainstorming a bunch of ideas. Draw an idea from the jar one at a time, and do whatever it says that night.
8) Make a “Valen-timeline” of your relationship highlighting your favourite past moments together.
Print out photos you love from moments you have shared and jot down the details of each event on the back. Try to remember as much as you can, so you both can look back on all the good times and compare memories. Hang them in order on a piece of ribbon, like a timeline, for him/her to find.
9) Make a collage of mementos from your relationship-defining moments.
Grab a picture frame, poster board, or canvas, and cover it with things like photos and ticket stubs from concerts or movies you saw together.
10) Take your significant other on a scavenger hunt to all your favourite places, and spend the day visiting each one.
You cannot celebrate V-Day without some kind of cheesy poetry, so turn your clues into little love poems and hide them at each spot for your loved one to find.
11) Give the gift of handmade love coupons.
Come up with a list of inexpensive things your guy/girl would love (a massage, a movie night when he/she gets to pick the movie, etc.). Make little coupons they can redeem whenever they want.
12) Hide little notes all around your significant other’s home, car, coat pockets, etc. for him/her to find throughout the day.
You know how good it feels to find a dollar in your pocket, so imagine how sweet it would be to find random love-note surprises everywhere.
13) Wake up early to do all the annoying things on your significant other’s to-do list, so you can spend the entire day together.
Little acts of kindness go a long way, and you will have extra time to spend together to do all the fun things.
14) Spend time together this Valentine’s Day
Sometimes, just being there for each other can make all the difference – to spend the day together rather than spending money.
So, take one day away from the stresses of life, work and above all, money – by showing your partner how much you mean to them but most importantly, not feeling under pressure to spend out on elaborate gifts we all too often are dragged into being a part of in this day and age.
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