Budget and Beautiful
Usually, when most people hear the word budget they do not think of it as being a beautiful thing. But I hope to change your mind on that with this blog. I hope that you can see there is beauty within a budget.
Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays with really high expectations, and that’s okay because you can have a romantic night that’s VIP style while keeping within a budget. You just have to minimize some of your efforts but don’t eliminate them! So how do you minimize, you think outside the box.
Everyone LOVES Chocolate covered strawberries, but a dozen chocolate covered strawberries can certainly put a dent in your budget. So instead of shopping around to find the best price, why not make them yourself. Yes, go buy some strawberries, warm up some chocolate and dip the strawberries. It’s actually not too hard to make and they will make for a more romantic gesture too. Likewise, instead of buying that box of chocolates that’s $10 overpriced, make your own chocolate at home. Find some inexpensive chocolate molds, heat up the chocolate, fill the molds and freeze it. Simple, sweet and romantic too.
What about dining out. Restaurants can be one of the most expensive elements of Valentine’s Day. The majority of restaurants require a reservation and often times have a set menu to order from, which little food and a high price. So what are your options? First off, you can always celebrate Valentine’s Day the day after or a couple days before. You can treat yourselves to nice date night at one of the “exclusive” restaurants that draw a crowd for Valentine’s Day. You might spend a little more than you’d like but I bet you’d be saving more than if you went on Valentine’s Day.
Another option is to plan a picnic. My boyfriend did this for me last year and it was better than any restaurant! He created romance and to me that was the VIP style. He set the table with rose petals spread out, had a table top grill and it was filet mignon and grilled vegetables on the menu and had some nice adult beverages too. And I brought some homemade heart shaped brownies for dessert! In my eyes, this romantic picnic was way better than a stuffy restaurant where they rush you along to get the next couple in.
When it comes to gift giving, that too should be from the heart. Sure it’s nice to get a new device or a much-needed tool but why not keep up with the romantic theme and do something from the heart. One of my favorites Valentine’s Day gifts for my boyfriend is coupons or vouchers. I’ll do the silly thing like, “This coupon is good for dinner and a movie, my treat.” Or “This voucher is good for one home-cooked meal.” Since I am not a fan of cooking, this voucher carries a lot of weight! There are many creative vouchers and coupons you can give to your loved one and the best part is, this gift won’t cost you a lot, but it will mean a lot because it comes from the heart.
So we’ve covered the chocolates, we talked about dining out and we talked about gifts. Are you sold that a budget can be beautiful yet?
If not let’s talk roses! Yes, flowers are another big expense on Valentine’s Day. I have to admit I LOVE getting flowers. In fact, my boyfriend brings me flowers on a regular basis, just because. But Valentine’s Day roses now those can really take a bite out of your wallet so, how do you get around it. Simple, buy another type of flower. Roses are pretty but think about your significant other’s favorite flowers and surprise them with those. Or you can always buy the roses a day before Valentine’s Day when they are a little cheaper and hide them until Valentine’s Day. Just don’t forget to water them.
I hope that you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day and that you feel like a VIP while living within a budget! Whatever it is you decided to do this Valentine’s Day, just be sure that your significant other knows they are loved, cared about and valued.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
