Valentine’s Day date – affordable date ideas

When Valentine’s Day approaches, we’re all hit with a barrage of commercials for restaurants, flowers, lingerie, and even edible bouquets. But if you’re short on cash, the idea of a pricey dinner and a movie night may not have you feeling the love.

Let’s face it: The usual date for Valentine’s Day isn’t exactly groundbreaking. As such, all of the restaurants in town are likely to be crowded – and good luck finding a good seat at the movie theater. So, what if, instead of spending your special day waiting for a table and rushing to get to Ster Kinekor or Nu Metro, you did something a little offbeat? You can fight fewer crowds, save yourself some coin, and impress your Valentine with something refreshingly different.

Take a cooking class:

Cooking together is so romantic, so why does everyone eat out on Valentine’s Day? This Valentine’s Day try taking your date to a master chef cooking class and you will be able to sample gourmet appetizers, entrees and desserts.
If you are really strapped for cash this, a great alternative is to hold your own cooking class. Select a few recipes you and your partner have always wanted to try, put on your favourite music, pour the wine and get to work in your own kitchen.

At home spa:

Create your own spa by drawing a bubble bath, lighting a few candles, and giving each other massages. A bonus point will be getting him into a face mask and an extra bonus is that you and your other half can sit back and watch your favourite rom-com while the masks dry. Face masks also make for cute selfies.

Indoor Picnic:

If you are in the mood for a little picnic but don’t want to go out then you can have an indoor picnic with your date. Throw down a blanket and have a romantic picnic in your living room. Save money on your shopping and make cute little finger sandwiches, cookies or brownies and pick up your favourite chips, then pack them up in a basket. If you want a bigger dose of nature, just turn on the National Geographic channel and listen to the sounds of birds chirping. It’s all the fun of an actual picnic, minus the bugs crawling in your food.

Netflix Dinner:

Is your favourite thing to do staying in with bae and catching up on your favourite shows? Order takeout from your favourite restaurant and try to finish a new mini-series in one night – you might have to stay up late, but that’s part of the fun! Order cheeseburgers, Chinese food, pizza, or any other food you love. And don’t forget dessert! You’ll save on this Valentine’s Day and spend the entire night pigging out and cuddling – basically a dream come true.

Ice skating in the middle of summer:

There’s a reason why couples are always hitting the rink in our favourite rom-coms. Whether you’re holding on to your S.O the entire time, or you two are gliding while holding hands, you are pretty much guaranteed to get close. And once you’ve had your fill, you can enjoy some hard earned drinks (Fine wine, anyone?).

So, instead of spending a whole lot of money, getting little loans and damaging your credit record to make Valentine’s Day special for your other half, use some of our unique Valentine’s Day gift ideas and shrug off the weak exchange rate.