5 Unique and Inexpensive Valentine’s Date Ideas That Don’t Suck

Love or hate it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. I’ve mentioned repeatedly on this blog, that Derek and I don’t necessarily celebrate it. We don’t need a dedicated holiday to show our appreciation for one another. I’m not saying couples shouldn’t do something fun to honour the day, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to buy expensive gifts or stress about finding that perfect fancy restaurant. You also don’t need a partner to enjoy this day, why not treat yourself to a day of pampering or take a personal day to just focus on yourself. We all need a little self-love and this day might just be the perfect day to take advantage of that.

Use February 14 as a day to reflect and take a closer look at your current relationships, whether that be a romantic one or friendship. Remember why those people are your life and maybe do something special for them. I’d much rather have a memorable experience with my loved ones, rather than something physical that I’ll probably end up losing. We often get so caught up in our busy and stressful lives, that we forget about love. This day doesn’t haven’t to be lavish or expensive, and today I’m sharing some fun ideas that you’ll always remember that doesn’t break the bank.

Indoor Picnic

Depending on where you live in the world, February isn’t typically considered the best month for outside activities (outside of winter sports). The great thing about hosting an indoor picnic, is it can be done with a loved one or a bunch of your friends. Pack up all the things you’d bring to an outside lunch date and set it up in your living room. From a bottle of wine to a charcuterie board, to sweet treats and chocolate, once you have a picnic free of grass, bugs and dirt, you may never go back to the real thing again. You can also create a fun backdrop, like this one, using nothing but feather boas from Dress Up Wholesale 

Time Capsule

I totally did this as a kid with my girlfriends and it was always so much fun opening them up years later. Spend the evening writing each other little notes, sharing your hopes and dreams, where you want to be in 5, 10 or even 15 years. Gather pictures and memories that you’ve shared and have fun decorating a little container to put your memories in. Put the artifacts inside, seal it, and place it in a safe place. Months, or even years later, open it and reminisce on where you were at that moment in time. Trust me, it will be fun to reminisce on the year’s past, but it will be even more fun opening it in a few years. The longer, the better.

Learn to Dance

When was the last time you danced with your partner, outside of a wedding? There’s something extremely romantic and sensual about learning how to cha-cha or merengue with your loved one. Of course, you can take professional classes, but you can also learn the step-by-step instructions from the comfort of your own home thanks to YouTube. This is equally as fun with a bunch of girlfriends. Download TikTok and let all those VSCO girls teach you how to Git Up, Renegade and Dip & Lean. This will create hours of laughter and leave you a little lighter on your feet.

Create a Signature Cocktail

Release your inner mixologist and shake up a few cocktails from scratch. This will of course require you to pick up a few bottles of liquor (if you don’t already have it stocked in your bar), but you can always pick up those mini 50ml bottles to keep the cost down, but the selection high. Have fun mixing different ingredients and booze to create your own signature drink. You can each make a few, and then rank them from best to worst. You can also have different prizes for the most unique, the most flavourful, the most colourful, etc. Again, this totally works with your girlfriends. Ask everyone to bring a few mini bottles and maybe a mix and let the games begin.

Map out a future vacation

Just because you’re staying in this V-Day, doesn’t mean you can’t dream about faraway places. The best part about a holiday, in my option, is the planning process. Print out a few maps and spend the evening planning your next dream vacation. Maybe start a bucket-list of all the places you want to see before you die, places you want to experience together, or just places you’ve always wanted to visit. Start a vacation jar and how you’re going to achieve enough fun to make this dream a reality.