Does Valentine’s Day have to be expensive?
Not at all. Let me tell you a story of how my husband and I had one of
the best Valentine’s Day celebrations ever by limiting ourselves to
spending $10 or less.
About ten years ago, my husband Michael
and I both left good jobs to begin a home-based business. Within a
matter of weeks, we went from two comfortable salaries to one sporadic
stream of income from our fledgling business. On the first Valentine’s
Day after we became self-employed, we both knew we shouldn’t spend much
on our February 14th celebration. So we agreed to try
something different. We decided to set a $5 spending limit per person
for our Valentine’s Day gifts.
To a spendthrift, a $5 spending limit on
Valentine’s Day would have been like the kiss of death: "What can I
possibly buy for only five dollars?" For us, it became a game:
"What kind of cool stuff we can come up for with less than five bucks?"
Both of us enjoyed the challenge of searching out items that would fit
the bill.
Michael is a woodworker, so for him it
was easy. He used his time and only a little money to make me a
beautiful oval frame for a wall mirror I already had. He used wood that
was salvaged from discarded packing crates, 25¢ paint from a yard sale,
and plans he drew up on his computer. The only thing he had to go out
and buy was a dowel for putting the frame together, which cost only 76¢
at the hardware store. The end result was a beautiful mirror that hung
proudly in our bedroom for many years.
For Michael, I found a desk calendar
that had a different quote about love for each day. Because it was
February, the calendar was on clearance for $4. I also found a
woodworking book at a library discard sale for 50¢. In addition, I made
him a homemade card and a plate of his favorite cookies. When you add
the cost of the cookie ingredients I already had on hand, I actually
went over my limit just a little but he was delighted nonetheless. In
fact, we both enjoyed our gifts and the thrill of the hunt so much that
we instituted the five-dollar rule for other gift giving occasions such
as birthdays and anniversaries that year as well.
Are you and your loved one going through
a tough time financially? Even if you’re not, is the thought of saving
money more attractive to you than spending a small fortune on
Valentine’s Day gifts? If so, I encourage you to try something different
this year. Take the Valentine’s Day Challenge. Set a small spending
limit—$5, $10 or whatever fits your budget—and agree with your spouse to
give gifts that are low in cost but high in creativity.
Use any special talents you have to
create a keepsake. Put your cooking skills to work to whip up an
inexpensive-yet-irresistible treat in the kitchen. Shop the clearance
racks to find some special something your sweetie would enjoy. Visit the
secondhand stores to find a gently-used book by a favorite author or CD
by a favorite artist. Use your budgeted amount to buy a gift card to the
ice cream shop, coffee shop or movie rental store.
Think outside the proverbial box. Make
it a game to see how you can use your creativity to give your sweetheart
the most Valentine’s Day fun for
the least amount of money.
Nancy Twigg is a speaker and
author who loves inspiring others to live more simply. Adapted from
Nancy’s newly revised book, Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler,
More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions (www.celebratesimply.com).
Visit Nancy online at
www.countingthecost.com