College provides some of the best opportunities to find a partner, but dating on a student budget can be anything but romantic. If you’ve ever gone on a “date” to the dorm cafeteria, you know just what we’re talking about.
If you want to make some Valentine’s Day memories on a shoestring budget, you need to get a little creative. Here are some ideas to shake things up this year.
1. Look for coupons
Restaurants near campus know that students have a limited budget and may offer special coupons for Valentine’s Day, like a fixed-price menu. Visit their social media pages and see what’s being offered. If you don’t see anything from your favorite restaurant, send them a DM or call and ask if they have any special deals.
Sites like Groupon may also offer restaurant coupons, but check the fine print to ensure you can use the coupon on Valentine’s Day. If you don’t see anything listed about holidays, avoid a potentially embarrassing situation by calling the restaurant directly to confirm. If you can’t use the coupon on Valentine’s Day, see if your date is OK with going the day before or after.
Find a restaurant where you can order family-style or share small plates. That way, you can still have the experience of dining out while avoiding an extravagant bill.
2. Cook at home
Eating dinner out can easily cost more than $30 a person. Instead, spend $30 on groceries and cook a meal you’ll both remember. You can pick an international dish, like Greek or Thai, or just try a classic Valentine’s Day meal, like roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.
Add a bottle of wine or find a fancy cocktail recipe (as long as you’re both of age). For dessert, make your own chocolate-covered strawberries for a fraction of the store-bought cost.
If neither of you is handy in the kitchen or you don’t have access to one, pick up some ready-to-eat staples from an upscale specialty market. For example, you could make a charcuterie board and pick a box of truffles.
3. Embrace the indoor cctivities
In most parts of the country, it’s too cold on Valentine’s Day to go outside for long. But a restaurant isn’t your only indoor option.
Instead of grabbing dinner together, do something unique like bowling or ice skating. Not only are these ideas more interesting than dinner, they’re also fairly affordable. Other ideas include checking out a local concert or finding an off-campus comedy club.
4. Celebrate outside of regular hours
Plenty of restaurants offer specials for happy hour. You might have a harder time finding these deals on Valentine’s Day, but it still pays to look around. You may have to eat a bit earlier, but you could save a ton on food and drinks.
Instead of having Valentine’s Day dinner, you could opt for a special Valentine’s Day lunch or brunch. You’ll spend a lot less by choosing one of these meals instead of dinner.
Also, remember that you don’t have to celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14. Celebrate the day after to find better deals on flowers and chocolates. And if a restaurant isn’t offering special discounts on Valentine’s Day, they may offer them the day after.
5. Find on-campus ideas
Your college may be hosting special Valentine’s Day events, like a romantic movie screening at the union. To find event listings, look at the local newspaper, the college paper, or sites like Eventbrite.
The on-campus art museum, observatory, conservatory, or planetarium may be open for an evening tour. Check the hours of operation and see if they’re open on Valentine’s Day. You could start with a tour and move on to dinner later.
6. Buy sweets together
For some couples, the best part of Valentine’s Day is binging on chocolate. If you want to create a memorable experience, visit a local bakery or chocolaterie and pick out some treats to sample together. You can grab a coffee or hot cocoa to enjoy there or take your treats back home.
As a bonus money-saving tip, try this date idea the day after Valentine’s Day when there may be extra sales on leftover chocolate.
7. Discuss gifts beforehand
If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a committed partner, you should discuss a gift budget beforehand. If you spend $25 and your significant other spends $75, they could feel like you don’t really care about them. Agreeing to spend the same amount will prevent hurt feelings.
Also, don’t be afraid to skip the gifts and put that money toward the actual celebration.
8. Choose thoughtful gifts over pricey ones
If you still want to make your SO feel special on Valentine’s Day, surprise them with some balloons from the dollar store tied to the bedroom door or some flowers on their desk or bedside table.
If you’ve been together for a while, take souvenirs, mementos, and photos from your relationship to make a scrapbook. If you only have a few photos, print out a couple and buy some picture frames as presents. You could also buy some magnet frames on Amazon and use those in lieu of traditional frames.
9. Stay in with a movie
There’s a reason why “Netflix and chill” has become such a popular option for college dates. Instead of braving the restaurant crowds and paying for an over-priced meal, stay in, order take-out, and pick a movie to watch.
Some pizza places offer heart-shaped pies for Valentine’s Day. Get one delivered to complete your cozy, budget-friendly Valentine’s Day celebration.
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