Comments on: Nine Tactics for a Frugal Valentine’s Day http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/ Financial talk for the rest of us Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:14:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Lona http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-182526 Lona Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:34:30 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-182526 This is great. Wonderful suggestions.

To go even lower budget, though, like for those of us hourly who don’t get vacation, here’s a few tips:

Go to a dollar store and look around – you’d be amazed the kinds of valentine candy that can be found there, and if you take it out of the packages and put together a basket yourself, it’s going to look and taste just as good as that $100 basket you saw at See’s.

I’m in a three-person relationship at the moment, which means twice the money, for each of us. Instead of going somewhere expensive for dinner, we have a strange tradition – we go to a coffee shop on the busiest street we can find and watch the cars go by – the red and white lights are oddly appropriate for the occasion, and for some reason, we always have Starbucks gift cards leftover from Christmas getting moldy in our wallets.

]]> By: Kim http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-181343 Kim Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:18:13 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-181343 We are having a romantic evening with candles, dinner, a movie, sweets and lovin. We are watching Family Guy. I got him season 4 he got me season 5. For dinner our favorite sanwiches… homemade Rubens. The candles are to cover up the smell of our toots from the kraut! The sweets are Triple Chocolate Klondike Bars. Our time together is like this everynite. If it’s Hamburger Helper and playing World of Warcraft, it’s our time together. Even if it’s a night on the town. Simple. Sweet. Nothing but love and laughs. I can’t ask for a better life. We are happy and to have found each other to share our lives with. We are just happy being together. To kiss goodnite and goodmorning. Yea, we are in love.

]]> By: Jeannine http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-180353 Jeannine Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:02:00 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-180353 My V-Day plans are to go home at lunch while my boyfriend is at work fill our bedroom with red balloons (a dozen for $5) and red candles. I am going to order food from a Cuban restaurant and pick it up. He will enjoy it because he is Cuban and I can’t cook Cuban food the way he likes it. And then when I get home from work I will light the candles, warm the food and wait for him to come home to surprise him.

]]> By: Mic Cullen http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179248 Mic Cullen Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:45:12 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179248 “Time enough for Love”? I take it she didn’t read it. (Never judge a book by its title.)

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179162 Anonymous Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:20:19 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179162 I can take several of your suggestions and wrap them together into something I did with my wife on our honeymoon. We didn’t have a lot of money at the time, though we weren’t poor. I spent a couple of days in front of a fireplace reading to her. To this day, I often sit and read the newspaper to her while she cooks. It is always worth the effort to find pleasurable ways to spend time together.

]]> By: eve http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179079 eve Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:22:20 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179079 My husband and I get each other silly gifts from the drugstore and set a limit of $5.00. It is fun picking out the funniest gifts we can find, and does not cost a lot of money.

]]> By: DougW http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179049 DougW Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:56:45 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179049 yeah, one time my wife told me ten times not to get her roses. So I didn’t, I got her a bouquet of other flowers. She cried for two hours because I didn’t get her roses. So, my advice, is if she’s telling you that she doesn’t want something, yeah, don’t listen.

]]> By: Caroline http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179041 Caroline Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:47:55 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-179041 A few years ago, I got a frantic phone call from a male friend of mine. He hadn’t attempted to make dinner reservations until February 13, and the lovely, romantic fondue restaurant was completely booked, of course. He begged me to give him an idea of what he could do for his girlfriend.

I said “Buy a fondue pot, good cheese, bread, and wine.” His response? “Oh my God, you are a genius!” I helped him shop for a fondue pot ($20 at Target), and the fondue ingredients (not more than $30 at the grocery store for gourmet cheeses, bread, and wine). He said it was a great success, and they had fondue for breakfast the next morning too — !

]]> By: Kari http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-178348 Kari Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:04:05 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-178348 Yesterday my 4-year old daugther & I did a little baking in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. We added pink food coloring to the bread dough recipe you posted (after adding the 1st cup of flour). After the dough raised in the bread pan for an hour, I cut hearts onto the top of the loaves before putting them into the oven to bake. Yummy, inexpensive & festive gift. After they cooled, we wrapped a loaf in plastic wrap with a red ribbon & attached a photo taken of her baking (digital camera & printers are handy)& went visiting – my daughter couldn’t have been more proud to give to Grandma & Grandpa =) (we ate the other loaf – pink toast is fun)

]]> By: lisa http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-176140 lisa Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:18:28 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-176140 I would love to get flowers for V-day, but my husband hates the idea of buying flowers for that particular day. So last year I suggested that he send me a *picture* of flowers. I got the beautiful bouquet which I could show to all my friends, and it didn’t cost us anything more than the time we wasted sending images back and forth via e-mail.

Another year I bought a couple of boxes of kid’s valentine cards and hid them all over his office.

]]> By: ramona http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175854 ramona Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:29:51 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175854 Today I came home from the first day of my new job and found a potted tulip starting to bloom, along with a cute handmade card. It occurred to me that they will probably be close to blooming on Valentine’s Day — so I got V-Day flowers, and I’ll bet he got them for tons cheaper than he would have in a week!

]]> By: Anitra http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175574 Anitra Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:26:40 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175574 The best romantic evening I ever had was when my husband surprised me on our anniversary by coming home early and making dinner for me – fettucine alfredo with broccoli (one of my favorites). He had set the table, lit candles, and everything was ready when I walked in the door. It didn’t matter that everything was store-bought and easy preparation, it was still a very elegant meal.

Friends of mine were poor college students, but he wanted to do something really nice for her on Valentine’s Day – but he couldn’t afford a nice meal. He enlisted help from friends to turn a table at the local Wendy’s into an miniature of an upscale restaurant – silverware, tablecloth, centerpiece flowers, waiter, and maitre’ d. His girlfriend was disappointed when she saw they were going to fast food, but when she walked in the door and a guy in a tuxedo ushered her to a seat, she changed her mind pretty quickly!

It really is the thought that counts. I don’t think either of the dinners above cost more than $15 – but each is a thoughtful experience that the recipient will remember for the rest of their lives.

]]> By: Brian Bonray http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175570 Brian Bonray Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:23:20 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175570 If you want a frugal valentine’s i went to ask.com and got some great v-day results! if you need to buy stuff anyway there are some online sites offering free chocolates for your sweetheart and some chocolate companies offering big discounts if you order this week. I had to buy some office supplies for work so I went to shoplet.com and got a free box of gourmet chocolates for paying cash. They let you send them to anyone and they will deliver on v-day so my girlfriend will get an expensive box of chocolates that didn’t cost me anything! dont worry ladies…i’ll make sure to get card!

]]> By: Brian http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175535 Brian Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:41:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175535 Love your blog….I think someone as msnbc reads it too:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17051768/

]]> By: Dividends4Life http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175405 Dividends4Life Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:38:10 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175405 Great post! I had to smile at the mental picture of me telling my wife we were going to have a frugal Valentine’s Day.

Best Wishes,
D4L

]]> By: Sarina http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175274 Sarina Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:47:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175274 Once my husband brought me one live pink carnation (my favorite) and one artifical pink carnation bush. He said, “Betcha can’t guess what it means.” I said, “Bet I can: you love me today and you’ll love me forever.” He said, “You got it!”

]]> By: Susan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175186 Susan Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:18:45 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175186 I like the idea of Valentine’s Day in theory, but I’ve always been uncomfortable with being out with 100 other people who are either nervously fumbling through the night or are miserable b/c they’re not with someone. I find it to be depressing. As a result, my husband and I usually take a walk, get a drink or some dessert, and go home. We usually do a little celebration a few days after on our own and it feels more private without everyone in the world out vying for the last flowers or seat at a restaurant. All I ever really want is to know he’s set aside time for me and wants to take a moment to appreciate me.

http://www.theinnovativetraveler.com

]]> By: Matt http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175174 Matt Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:59:44 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175174 Good list, I couldn’t agree more that valentines should be more about spending time with your loved one than spending money. If you really think about it the holiday has been turned into yet another expected reason to spend money. My wife and I are thinking about spending the weekend away – yes a bit more expensive but we’ll get to enjoy each others company while not worrying about the day to day.

]]> By: Lisa http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175173 Lisa Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:59:00 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175173 Chocolate works for me! And pre-Valentine’s Day (Sunday, in fact), my sweet husband watched Jane Eyre with me and wept at the end. And he works so hard to take care of me – he shows me his love all the time. I’m really a lucky/blessed girl.

]]> By: Anne K. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175152 Anne K. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:33:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/02/05/nine-tactics-for-a-frugal-valentines-day/#comment-175152 We made plans to go out this Friday night to dinner at a place we like. We go there a couple times a year. It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s good food and we won’t be battling crowds to get into a restaurant serving greasy food. On Valentine’s Day, I’ll make him his favorite meal and we’ll probably snuggle for the evening watching a dvd. :) Thanks for the post, Trent.

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