Car full of balloons
I rented a helium tank from a local party store and bought a bag of balloons. My girlfriend was at college that day and I have a key to her car. I stuffed her car completely with helium filled balloons with love messages written on each one. Then I tied another two dozens balloons to her bumpers and mirrors with ribbons. When class let out, everyone watched her go to her car and open the door. All the balloons came floating out. I watched from a distance and took pictures of the balloons floating off into the sky so she could remember the moment.
–submitted by Lance
Chalk and Bubbles
My boyfriend and I sometimes “take turns” choosing what to do when we have a day together. One day it was my turn to decide and as we drove around I still didn’t know what to do. As we were passing a toy store I made him go in, he though I was being silly but agreed. I bought 2 bottles of bubbles and a bucket of sidewalk chalk that came to around $5. We drove to a lake in the area and sat by the water blowing bubbles and writing fun things on the paths. It brought out the kids in both of us and we had a blast. The best part was we didn’t use nearly all of it and we kept them in his car occasionally bringing them out when we didn’t know what else to do.
–submitted by Kira
Coffee and Games
I like to take dates to a certain coffee house near my house. I generally have no money, so when I get some, I don’t like spending it too often, but I am one that likes to take guys out on dates. What I do is go to this certain coffee house with the guy, buy us coffee and dessert and spend about 4 hours there playing Monopoly. The coffee house provides lots of game boards. However, I’m sure others wouldn’t mind if you bring your own. It’s always a fun activity to do and brings out the competitiveness in me! Guys always love seeing that side. If you don’t want to take a board game to a coffee house, try a deck of cards, and teach each other games.
–submitted by AthenaMari
Colorful Ideas
We aren’t as young as we used to be, so to put a little fun in one afternoon, my sweetheart and I bought a coloring book. We went outside, spread out a blanket, laid on our stomachs and colored. It was so much fun. It was like we were kids again. We bought a frame for our “art-work” and it is displayed on our dresser in our bedroom. It brings a smile to a gloomy day. The best part is this memory cost us less than $5.00!
–submitted by DiAnna
Comfy Movie Viewing
It was the end of summer and a local “value” store had dinky inflatable pools on sale for about ten dollars. For fun I bought one. We went home and pushed all the couches to the wall and inflated the pool in the middle of the living room floor. Then we then filled the pool with all the pillows we could find in the house, which nearly filled the pool! After that we put on our PJ’s and popped in a movie. We sat in the pool for something a little different than the traditional couch. It was really comfortable and fun. When the movie was over we fell asleep in the huge pillow pool! I know it probably sounds dorky, but it made for some laughs and a great memory together.
–submitted by Katie
Community Action
We were bored so we bought a newspaper. We looked in the local activities section and found out there was a car show and a concert in the park. It only cost 50 cents for the newspaper and chances are you will find a selection of free activities to go see within your community.
–submitted by Shawn
Dance Under the Stars
We love to dance. And although going to fancy dances and sweeping across floors while others just watch is fun, the best dances are at night under the stars. You’ll be amazed how little the music means when all you dance to is the beating of your heart.
–submitted by Briscoe’s girl
Dining Within
For my husband and I, Valentine’s is about being creative, not spending money. This Valentine’s Day he won’t get off work until 8 p.m., so I will get home several hours before he will. Our dining area is open to the living room and we have tapestries on our walls. I’m going to use these tapestries to divide the room into smaller rooms, with the dining room being a cozy little restaurant and the living room a “ballroom.” When he comes home, he will walk in and see a sign with his suit hanging there telling him to go change clothes (he will not have seen me yet). When he comes out of the bedroom, the sign will now say “Please Wait to Be Seated.” I will then come out and pretend to be the waitress and “seat him” at his “booth.” The table will already be set up with candles and food and there will be jazz music playing. One of our favorite restaurants is Olive Garden and I found some copycat recipes for his favorite dish there and for the breadsticks. After we’ve eaten we will go into the “ballroom” for dancing. I think this is a very romantic, thoughtful idea and the only thing it costs is the ingredients, which I don’t count because everybody’s got to eat!
–submitted by Lynn
Don’t Forget The Tender Moments
When I was in college, there was a very special guy that I hung out with, but we never officially went on dates because we had no money. One night we started to play a video game that we were told had only so many levels. We had been playing for so long that we decided to try to beat the game. We ended up staying up untill 5 AM and the game just kept going. It was free and we really got to know each other. We later spent days sledding, playing in the rain, feeding ducks, etc. There’s a lot of romance to that sort of thing that you can’t see until you find yourself in that moment.
–submitted by Sarah
Drive-In Movie at Home
My husband and I have been together for 10 years. For one of our first Valentine’s Days together, I didn’t have any money. So, I got a large refrigerator box and painted it red, laid it on its side and cut a side out. I made a heart shaped steering wheel, license plates that read, “lovebug”, cardboard wheels, headlights, etc, put it in the living room and rented a movie for us to watch. We both barely fit in the box but we squeezed in (all for the better) and ate popcorn and watched our movie! We had to get rid of the box, but he still has the steering wheel and plates! It was silly but fun!
–submitted by Kate
