Begin with a romantic setting, add a steak dinner, chocolates, roses, and jewelry—lots and lots of jewelry – and what have you got? In my opinion, you have the perfect Valentine’s Day! However, at this time of year roses are at sky-high prices, a good steak dinner is quite costly and chocolate, well ladies, most of us just had a little too much of that during the past couple of months!
Have no fear, this column is not about losing weight, but scoring a cost-effective yet meaningful Valentine’s Day. It is not necessary to break the bank for your sweetie-pie. With some thought, you can make them feel special without blowing your budget. Really, you can!
Let’s start with the meal. This is a good time to break out of your box and try something other than steak. By all means, stay at home. A candlelit dinner cooked by the one you love is just the right start to a romantic evening. Go out to eat some other time. All the wanna-be’s are out on Valentine’s Day! Choose some other night to go out to dinner and you won’t have to face crowded restaurants with long lines. Unless McDonalds is your restaurant of choice, you will also save a lot of money! Head to your nearest grocery store and invest in your honey’s favorite meal. My sweetheart loves Mexican food, so I might make him his favorite enchiladas, since I hardly ever spend the time on them because they take so long! The extra effort will show you care … trust me.
Don’t neglect to make their favorite dessert. Fresh strawberries with whip cream is a quick and easy dessert, or try apple slices with caramel. A pretty frosted cake with some sweetheart candies on top is lovely as well.
Set your table with extra attention. Bring out the fancy dishes, and the china that you save for special times. Light a few candles and you have a night that is fit for a king or a queen. Later on, draw a bubble bath, take up the candles and… well, as for the roses, while they are beautiful and traditional, they are also very expensive. By all means skip the florist and go to a craft store. You can buy a bouquet of silk flowers there that will last forever at a fraction of the cost of fresh flowers and you’ll still show the love of your life you were thinking of them. Another alternative is choosing a seasonal live bouquet. Flowers that are in season cost less and still make an attractive arrangement.
If fake roses, or no roses are out of the question, you can almost always find a dozen roses at Costco, Safeway, and Raley’s or Belair for $10-$20, Costco being the best roses for the price, followed by Safeway.
A final note -- if you have kids, don’t forget to let them know that they are loved. Grab them a bag or two of candy or some other treat and let them know they are your sweeties too.
Just remember not to break your bank. After all, the people in our lives are what matter, not the things we buy them.
Happy Valentine’s Day.