If funds are tight this Valentine’s Day, don’t forgo a romantic meal. With a little creativity, you can celebrate February 14th with a memorable dinner you’ll be sure to remember for years to come. It’s easy to keep the cost down and you can still have a great time. Here’s how you can start manage when you are dating on a budget.
Champagne Brunch
If you feel as if you can’t go to your favourite restaurant this year because it’s simply too expensive, opt for a less costly brunch instead. Brunch is a romantic alternative to a heavy dinner. Make a reservation at your favourite restaurant content with the knowledge that having brunch there won’t break the bank. Be sure to toast your relationship with champagne!
Home Cooked Meal
Share the cooking duties with a homemade dinner. There’s something very sweet about planning, preparing, and cooking dinner while working side-by-side. Put on some music and set a table complete with cloth napkins and candles.
Picnic Lunch
Rather than a restaurant dinner, pack some sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and sparkling apple cider. Then head to your nearest park. Lay out a big blanket and enjoy the beauty of nature while you dine. If you’re in a colder area of the country, opt for a carpet picnic instead!
Casual Lunch
Lunch can be just as romantic as dinner, and far less costly. You can still go to a nice restaurant, or if you prefer, a good old-fashioned pub. Find a place that has meaning to you and ask for a cosy booth in the back. Even with a few drinks, the tab for lunch will be far less expensive than for dinner.
Appetiser Meal
Rather than a heavy dinner, make several smaller appetizers instead. Be creative to keep the cost down. Instead of spending a lot on a cheese platter, for example, purchase a block and cut it up yourself. Make a couple of appetizers from scratch. Even if you use expensive ingredients, you’ll be making a very small amount and spending less money.
Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Dinner
Ever made a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? How about peanut butter, apple, honey, and bacon? Or grilled peanut butter and jelly? Then again, there’s Elvis Presley’s favourite: peanut butter and banana. Make a few peanut butter sandwiches and cut them up into quarters. Then serve as a creative peanut butter extravaganza. (Don’t forget the milk.)
Kid’s Meal
Who says a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration needs to be at an expensive restaurant? How about spending a day at the arcade or park instead? Hang out and tell each other your favourite childhood memories. Then stop by your local fast food joint for a kid’s meal. Keep the prize you get for a memento from your day.
Singles work hard to make Valentine’s Day special, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. Use one of these cheap meal ideas to create a fabulous dinner for you and your partner. It’s the time you spend together, not the cost of the meal or gifts, that will really make your day memorable.
