My husband always hand writes me a love letter for V-day. This heartfelt gift means more to me than just about anything else. He usually accompanies it with a single red rose from the grocery store. The most inexpensive gifts are often the most valuable.

Starting this year, my husband and I are trying something new. Instead of going out to an overpriced restaraunt along with everyone else in the world, or buying flowers that will be dead in a day or two, or chocolate which I will end up wearing on my hips, we are getting together with some other couples and are having a soup and sandwich valentine's party. Each couple has signed up to bring something and we're going to play games. It's a Valentine date, but it's not going to cost us an arm and a leg.

My wife and I are going out on a different day and having a "babysitting swap" with another couple to save money.

Ridiculously elaborate homemade cards are my favorite (then again, I'm 19 and my parents still have tons of paper doilies, glitter, and the like at home for free).

I love these give aways :)

I also love at-home romantic dinners. Deck out the house with candles, dance in your living room; no need for reservations or overpriced wine.

I've taken to writing love notes as an alternative to spending money. I find that spending some time in a heart-felt note, expressing reasons and examples of my devotion, is much more meaningful than flowers or even (gasp!) chocolate as a v-day gift.

Homemade gifts are always the best. I do a lot of different crafts, so a valentine's gift might be a scarf or a hat (after all, it's winter!), a handmade plushy, a beaded necklace or bracelet (for my mom, not my bf!), a handmade card or mini scrapbook. I also love to bake and make candy, so Valentie's Day is my second big baking holiday after Christmas! I make cookies and use red and pink sprinkles on sugar cookies, and pink and red m&ms for chocolate chips!

I don't know if this really counts as a V-Day tip, but it has saved us money.... My husband and I decided when we first got married that it was more important to us to celebrate our anniversary than Valentine's Day. It seemed silly for us to have two romantic holidays a year, so we chose to celebrate the one that was more meaningful for us. An added benefit is that flowers are affordable and it's much easier to find dinner reservations if you aren't celebrating at the same time as everyone else!

We always attend a free wine tasting so that we are able to enjoy different wines and not spend a dime. If that tasting also has nibblers, then that's an added bonus.

I have to say that the best V-day I ever had was when we stayed home in our bathrobes, watched a movie and ordered pizza. High romance, low cost!!

one year i made an elaborate dinner of all supposed aphrodisiacs, including dessert of handmade chocolates topped by edible flowers. just looking up the aphrodisiacs and deciding what to make was fun all by itself ... there are some crazy ones!

My husband and I are newlyweds, and this is our first valentine's day as married folks. My tip for this year is to talk about our goals - dream and let ourselves think about all the ways NOT spending money on a big NYC dinner will allow us to fund our future (even a little bit). You don't need money to dream.

My husband and I celebrate V-day a week or so later - that way, the restaurants are all not booked, places are not crowded and we get to have our own special day. We used to go out to eat, but with a baby now, it gets harder. So we cook dinner together and watch a movie at home snuggled in the couch (with or without a wine) and talk about our dating days and pre-marriage/pre-baby fun days.

My birthday is a week after V-Day, so we usually skip Feb 14 and celebrate both on Feb 21.

My other cheap tip: buy V-day chocolates on sale the next day. :-)

There is no substitute for something made by your own hands. Dinner, Woodworking, Massages, chores etc. My wife will take any of the above!

How about a coupon to your spouse for your spouse to enjoy a day off. Essentially you would agree to tend to the children and to the chores on a day of your spouses choosing so that your spouse could do whether she/he wishes.

We like to create a romantic setting, candles, fine china, etc. And then have a very filling helping of a local fast food joint. This year we are leaning towards Jimmy John's or Arbys.

We've tried doing the nice restaurant thing, but with how busy they are we're better off at home.

Mike

The easiest and cheapest thing to do on V-day is buy a carton of strawberries, melt some chocolate, and dunk away. Feed each other and let the fun begin! ;)

my dad does this for my mom and it might just be cheap- but I find it romantic...
Every year he gives her the same card with a new note on it. I'm not sure how many years he's been doing it, but the card is pretty full and each new note is unique. It saves money and also is a reminder of all the years of love.

I've never been really into Valentines day, and I hate all the money wasted on flowers, chocolate, dinners, etc (I know, I'm such the romantic). So, a few years ago, I told my boyfriend that I didn't want anything, but if he had to buy me something, all I wanted was some of those candy conversation hearts.

Well, he took me up on it. He came home from work, tossed a big bag of candy hearts at me, and we had a nice dinner, but nothing special.

That's when I realized that I did want some romance. A bottle of wine and some flowers might not be practical, but it's nice to splurge on things once in a while!

Luckily, my boyfriend knew me better than I knew myself. Later on that night, he proposed.

So I got a bulk bag of candy and a diamond ring in one night.

If you are going out to eat on Valentine's Day, go for a nice breakfast or lunch - it's often much cheaper than dinner!

Another thing I like to do on Valentine's Day is to make breakfast in bed for my fiance and me... then we can snuggle and eat pancakes :)

Making a special dinner together and homemade cards and notes are the way to go

Valentine's is the day my husband and I got engaged, so when we had money we would spend it getting a nice room out by Point Reyes (where we were engaged). Even then we always brought our own homemade meal and dessert. So to continue in the tradition, but make it even more frugally we could go just for a day trip. This also means we can bring our two daughters (which saves on babysitting) and we can all play at the beach or go for a hike. It can still be romantic and make for a great family memory. Plus, there are never crowds at the park on Valentines. (Just remember to bundle up a bit.)

I've taken a photo with my 2 year old and put it in a pretty heart-shaped ornament...that's what my husband is getting this year for Valentine's Day. I will make him dinner and dessert, too, of course. This is a very frugal and sweet way to say I love you!

If we have a gift card to a decent restaurant (we usually do from Christmas), we go out. If not, we make dinner at home and might pick up dessert.

When we go out, we tend to go out on a day other than the 14th - dinner prices seem higher on Valentine's Day and many restaurants seem focused on getting you in and out.

Make her favorite dish, pack it up and have a late night picnic at any local park. Champagne is a must!!!

My valentine plans a little trip to a special place- our favorite place to take walks, a trip to the zoo, a picnic in a local park, a play at the local community theater. The memories of these times together mean much more to me than some trinket would. Some times its free, some times it costs a little, but it's always very sweet and thoughtful. And I think it's even more romantic because it doesn't put us in debt!

While on a tight budget, what I recommend for all those lads out there is to hit Krogers a bout 2 days before V-Day and look in their discounted flower section. You can pick up quite a few deals on a variety of different beauties. The last time I hit their discount buckets, I came away with 2 dozen spray roses for $2.99 a dozen; 12 long stem roses for 50 cents a piece, and a nice plethora of floral mixes for under $3.00. I took them home, properly cut them and arranged them in my fancy vases. However, I had so much leftover, I used my recycled glass jars and made beautiful mini bouquets to put all around the house. Talk about brighten a lass' day when she walks in and you have 5 to 6 different arrangements throughout the house! And all for under $20. Good luck lads!

My dad has sometimes forgotten to buy a card and has, on a few occasions, given my mom last year's valentine card that she saved. However, to make up for his mistake, every year he'll decorate the whole house with all of the v-day cards from their 30 years of marriage and add one new one. The stack of cards is pretty thick now, and it is a reminder of how love grows over time.

My dear husband does this for me since I'm a frugalholic. He buys flowers for me at a discount florist and then brings them home and adds to them with different exotic things growing around the area. He uses one of the vases I find too pretty to discard.
For dinner: he buys some prime steaks, potatoes, salad and a veggie. He serves us drinks and we grill while the potatoes are cooking. The veggie is easy to grill right along side the steaks and the salad easy to prep ~ more together time. Makes for a very romantic evening.

We keep costs down on V-day by not celebrating it! (My hubby usually sends me a card anyway, though. :)

I think the most important thing is to make whatever you do meaningful to that person. If you do that, you will get more bang for your buck no matter what.

Years ago I mailed letters and cards to Valentine, NE for a postmark. I think it gives the letter and card just that something extra special.

These days, there's a whole list of places. From http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Ed_Teach_Kids_Postmark/:

"To get a postmark, simply enclose a pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope and mail it in a large stamped envelope to:

Postmaster
(Town Name) Valentine Re-mailing
City, State ZIP Code

Here are some popular choices:

Bliss, NY 14024
Heart Butte, MT 59448
Juliette, GA 31046
Loveland, CO 80538
Loveville, MD 20656
Loving, NM 88256
Romance, AR 72136
Romeo, MI 48065
Sugar City, CO 81076
Valentine, NE 69201
Valentine, TX 79854
Valentines, VA 23887"

My husband loves chocolate covered pretzels, but instead of buying them this year, I'm going to make some for him.

Buy her a ring, but wrap it in tin foil and use an index card instead of hallmark. You may not save on the ring, but you do on the other stuff. Plus it's a nice touch.

When my Mom was still alive, she and my Dad would go to the
local CVS or card store and read all the different cards.
They'd laugh and share cards and pick their favorites.....
before they left they would always pick the one they would
buy for each other ..if they had the money. Living on a tight
budget on their social security, it wasn't often that they
splurged on cards but they still had fun together. This is one
of my favorite memories of them.

Not sure if this was mentioned, but the most frugal V-day gift is winning an iPod Touch and loading it up with 10 free songs as a mix-tape for your honey. Of course if I won it, I would just let her listen to it through headphones while I keep the iPod :)

Best way to be frugal about V-Day? Don't celebrate it at all. Every day is a good day for showing your love. Why save the good heart-deeds for just one day? Making dinner for your honey every night, sharing a glass of wine over your favorite show, cuddling up at the end of a long day - perfect for every day of the year!

cook pizza or dinner at home, and then watch an old favorite movie! split dessert, or make rules that you can only spend $10 on gifts for each other- and leave the price tags on. cards and wrapping paper count towards the total- it'll make you be creative and thoughtful :)

we cook a very fancy dinner but it still costs MUCH less than going out and we have WAY more food :) then we go out for dessert.

Why not pick another day that's not Valentine's to celebrate your love for your special someone. Even just a week earlier (or better yet, later) and you're not fighting everyone for restaurant reservations, flowers and chocolate are cheaper (especially the chocolate if you can get it 50% off the day after) and it can be no less special.

I like #3 on Xin Liu's post: Cook a favorite meal at home. Sharing a meal is such an intimate practice, especially if you're conscious of it. And when you put your own effort into it, it's even more special.

We have never really gone whole hog with the Valentine's celebration thing, but it is a nice opportunity to cook a lovely dinner together. We try to create a theme - my favorite over the past 10 years has been "Places I Have Visited." So there were some crazy culinary matches, but all of the food was wonderful -- and what doesn't go with champagne?!

We're hitting the fanciest restaurant in town--the day before Valentines, during the early bird special. Fantastic food, beautiful atmosphere--but no long lines or Valentines Day crowds.

I like to do something special for my hubby at work, too--bring him a single rose or some cupcakes. Something that makes the other folks at work jealous that he's married to such a cool wife. ;)

Last year for Valentine's Day, I made my husband a booklet of dates - 52 different ideas for dates that I wrote on nice cardstock and bound together. The idea was that he could pick one of the dates each week. The ideas included a picnic in the park, or a visit to a local museum, or going to a movie, or just staying in.

He loved it and it was very fun to put together.

Lipstick on the mirror. Candles. Foot massage. (Billie Holiday optional)

A picnic in your own living room (or hers).

Light a candle. Turn off all electronics, sit and talk face to face for an hour. What else do you need?

We usually get takeout from one of our favorite restaurants (with a coupon if possible) and I make a decadent dessert of his choice.
The candy comes the day after when it's marked down!

How about a homemade card, home-cooked meal, and a Netflix on the TV? The Perfect Valentine's Day for me and mine.

being single - I have nothing to buy! :)

Last year I bought a simple v-day card and wrote every reason why I loved my gf. I do mean every possible reason, I took up the whole space on the card. She loved it and said that nobody else has done something like that before.

edit home movie footage into a movie

I prepare a candlelight warm bath with a tray of appetizers for my husband. He loves this once a year relaxing treat!!!

You can order flowers for Valentine's Day in January to be delivered in February for much cheaper than ordering just before Valentine's Day!!

Roses and a hot massage will do the trick.

Stay single!
Seriously, the bestest valentines day I ever had was during college when my ex dragged me away from the books and we took a stress break/walk around the frozen lake on campus. It was also snowing really hard and about zero degrees outside but it was fun! and we also laughed at the people who were forced to drive out in the treacherous weather to justify their $100 reservations at the local restaurants. ha!

For my SO I make a cookie cake and in icing I write "I love you because...." and usually try and put something funny but sweet there.

W/ ds those large boxes of generic valentines to give away in school aren't even expensive (Esp if you buy after Vday and save for next year) but they leave you feeling blah....this year we're combing craft blogs for something simple enough for him to make himself, for 25 kids.

My favorite valentine's day gift to give my fiancee is time. It's not how much money you spend on a gift that will sit on a shelf or how much time you spent hunched over handcrafting something (although those gifts are often the most incredible things imaginable) but to take time over a thoughtfully prepared meal that you both enjoy, and wallow in the enjoyment of that meal and the company you share together. Take the phone off the hook. Leave work challenges in your briefcase. slip a movie in for the kids to enjoy in the next room. Give the dog a long lasting chewy to keep her occupied. The laundry can wait, and the bills can be paid later. It might only last 10 minutes, but make it worthwhile, and focus on what you have together. If you're single, just focus on what you love about yourself, because you're lovable!

My favorite gift to give my husband for a day like Valentine's is something that requires some kind of small sacrifice on my part, that lets him know he is important to me. For example I might cook him a meal or dessert that he really likes but I don't care for. Or offer to take the time to play video games or go to the comic book convention, or bowling or something he likes that I would rather not do . I think that sometimes those smaller,certainly frugal sacrifices can speak louder than expensive gifts.

enter a bunch of contests and win a gift :)

Not sure how well this qualifies as being frugal, but my wife and I don't do Valentine's Day at all! We decided long ago that it's a made-up Hallmark holiday, so we forgo the flowers and candies and dinner. Instead, we celebrate our dog's birthday by baking him homemade dog treats.

Our favorite activities include a candlelite dinner at home (who wants to go out and eat with 100 people you don't know) and homemade coupon books.

A few valentines ago my girl friend talked about having a bland office and wanted something for her desk office. She also mentioned about her cell phone battery always losing power. So what I did was I bought a DIY toy from Kidrobot and a cell phone charger I painted the toy, cut it out to hold the cell phone, and then feed the wiring through to make it work.

AS everyone said before. DIY presents are the best.

This year instead of thinking of a gift (being that I have no more ideas after Christmas), I am planning to just be creative and leave simple love notes around the house. Like leaving a matchbook with "you are my perfect match" or putting a rock in the fridge with "you are my rock" or a note next to the honey/sugar "you are my sweetie/honey." I think this will make my husband feel special and loved, and since its thoughtful it won't seem like I'm just cheap.

I'm alone this year, and normally that would mean that I'd go out and spend some extra money because I "deserve" it. I am promising myself I won't do that - I don't actually "deserve" anything!

I love to take my daughters to Dollar Tree about two weeks before Valentine's Day, so that we can stock up on paper valentines for them to share with classmates, dum dum pops to tape to their valentines, candy hearts for co-workers and various goodies for friends, teachers and parents. We can stock up completely for Valentine's day for less than 20 dollars, which is fantastic!

My husband and I don't buy a thing for each other, nor do we go out. We just wait for 9pm, which is when the kids go to bed, then we do what comes naturally!

Free art galleries.

Dinner reservations at White Castle. Or the "Love Castle", as they call it. http://whitecastle.com/ValentinesDay09/

The best Valentines gift I gave my husband was our first Valentines day, a few months after we started dating. I found out he never had a teddy bear growing up, or any sort of stuffed toy.

That just bothered the heck out of me! "EVERYONE should have a teddy bear!", I thought.

Since I was going to college at the time and living with my Mom, I didn't have a lot of money, but I wanted to give him a very special teddy bear for his first. I had a matching pair of stuffed bears that I received for Christmas from my Mom when I was 12. The bears were about 2 feet tall, VERY huggable with shaggy hair and magnets in their hands and faces so their hands could "pray" or go up to their faces and look like they were hiding their eyes. My Mom gave me permission to give one of the bears to my then-new-boyfriend.

I gave him the boy bear, which has a little red bow tie, and I have the girl bear that doesn't have the bow tie.

He loves that bear like a little kid would! He also likes the fact that I have a matching one and it was something special of mine that I gave to him. It was the perfect gift.

Try just being with your loved one.
And stay away from the big box guilt Isles.

even if it is five minutes of holding (or other things) it is the sentiment that is important not the stuff.

1. Make your sweetie a list of the 14 reasons why you love him/her.
2. Follow up with a second list, detailing 14 things you will do in the next year in the name of love. Examples: Cook a romantic dinner, promise weekly back-rubs, starting a new hobby together, etc.

A couple years back I learned about a bracelet kit that you can order online. It come complete with a cd and photo paper in order to take pictures of yourself, family members etc. The photos are cropped to a specific size and then get glued onto the bracelet. The bracelet is sterling silver and looks very nice once you are finished. My wife loves it as it has photos of our kids and is something I helped created.

The best gift I ever got for Valentine's Day was getting my car cleaned out. I am terrible at getting around to vacuuming it, so this was awesome.

We decided this year that we would make a "love box". Everytime we "make whoopie" (so to say) a dollar goes in the box. Next year we will take the money and use that to celebrate V day!

We live in the Northeast, and my significant other loves the outdoors regardless of the season. This year we've planned an afternoon of snowshoeing, and will pack a thermos of decadent hot cocoa to take along. Being outdoors, enjoying nature and having fun with each other, then going home for a cozy night in makes for a perfect Valentine's Day for us both. When we do things like this together, it brings us even closer.

I've decided recently, that I will try to make all my gifts by hand (for all holidays, but especially Valentines day). This year I took up some projects in sewing, illustration and printing. By doing the work myself, I saved a ton of money (essentially, I made 6 of these sewn items for less than the price of one at the store), I put alot more heartfelt effort into it, and the outcome is more meaningful for both myself and the recipient, not to mention that I learned alot about those fields of craft along the way. I designed and printed my own vintage style greeting cards. In this way, I could have not only my own design, but my own messages as well, and Printing cost me much less than the price of similar cards at the store (The cards at Borders were about $3.99 each, I got 7 printed for $6, cut for an extra $5, and they look wonderful).

Also, I always try to write a letter or note to that special someone, as it is just another heartfelt, personal gift.

Cheers!

My husband and I have been married for just about 2 years, but we haven't really done anything special for Valentine's Day since the first one we spent together as a dating couple. This year I am planning a "picnic". I'm making dinner, putting it into a picnic basket and laying a picnic on the floor. Just the two of us in our first house (awaiting our first baby). I am so excited!

We always have friends & relatives who don't know what to get us for Christmas, and usually we don't need much anyway, so we tell them to get us gift cards to cool local restaurants then use those for a nice valentine's day dinner!

My wife and I like to splurge on really nice ingredients and wine and have a nice romantic meal at home rather than going out to a fancy restaurant. This saves money and also allows us more time to relax with each other rather than stressing out about a reservation and getting to the restaurant. We love cooking together so it works out perfectly for us!

Our sunday school class gets together to prepare and serve a meal to the senior citizen's sunday school class. After we eat, we play the Newlywed game or something. It's always a hoot! Fun and beats sitting for three hours waiting to eat at a restaurant.

Well, I learned this one from my parents. Instead of a big bouquet of flowers, give a single rose. It's not too expensive and it makes a nice focal point. Sure the big bunch has the "wow" factor, but there's something sweet about the single rose.

I'll be making my husband's favorite meal (chicken fettuccine alfredo, breadsticks, wine) and sending the kids to Grandma's house. We'll have candle-light and music, peruse photo-albums from our 10 years together. Maybe dig up some of the good memories to laugh about. I can't think of anything more romantic. Total cost: Maybe 20 bucks. We don't buy expensive wine. I have no idea what he's going to do for me. The most frugal thing would probably be for him to just forget all about it, and that could happen.

My favorite frugal tip, like many others have mentioned, is to cook a special recipe at home and just enjoy each others' company. We aren't going to do valentine's day "gifts" because saving money is much more important to us. Putting together a fancy meal at home is usually cheaper than going out anyhow.

I'm thinking about making my own valentine's day cards this weekend. I already have cardstock laying around so I'd really just need some envelopes.

My fiance and I have always thought valentine's day is a racket, considering everything is jacked up in price for that day.

We wait until the day after valentine's day to do our thing. Avoid the crowds, and often get the "leftover" candy and flowers 75%+ off. It's worth it to me!

The favorite gift I ever got for Valentine's Day was a box filled with cutout construction paper hearts in red and pink. On each one was written one thing my boyfriend at the time loved about me. It was really sweet... inexpensive, and that he took the time to notice each of those things really meant a lot. I ended up pulling out one a day for a few months and reading them for a morning pick-me-up.

Please count me in for the drawing too. :)

This year, I'll be framing a copy of our wedding vows and making a mixed tape (actually CD) with one song for every year we've been together and the last one will be the song we danced to at our wedding.

A - Award (make a homemade award to present)
B - Bear (just something small)
C - Cookies (nothing like homemade cookies)
D - Decorate (the bathroom mirror with "love")
E - Explore (new things that make you laugh with one another)
F - Frame (the favorite photo for the desk at work)
G - Games (find free games or ideas for games on the internet)
H - HUGS (give plenty of hugs and give more)
I - Ignite a fire (either in the fireplace or ....)
J - Journal (recapping the past & looking forward to the future)
K - Kisses (of course)
L - Listen (to romantic music - by candelite for more points)
M - Mesmerize (a smiple look in the eye, says it all)
N - Naughty (in which ever way you seem fit)
O - Obtain (favorite foods, candles, candy)
P - Playful (nothing is more fun then acting young at heart)
Q - Quarantine (yourself for some alone time)
R - Rub (your partners feet, back...)
S - Snuggle (hold on tight)
T - Toast (to another year of plenty of love)
U - Utilize (your time)
V - Visualize (your dreams together)
W - Walk (hand in hand)
X - Xtra (love, kisses, smiles, and laughter)
Y - Yearn (to spend time together)
Z - Zip (the two of you in one sleeping bag)

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

I've never really liked Valentine's day. I think it's too commercialized and I'm always sad that it's only for couples (even though I'm dating). Single people need love too!

Every year I throw an anti-valentine's day party. Any one can come, couples and singles, except you're not allowed to act like a couple during the party. I keep down costs by making it potluck. There is always some kind of cooking contest theme involved to make it a little more fun and challenging.

While this advice is not directed towards Valentine's day and lovey-dovey stuff....it's a good, cheap time with friends...spread the love around people!

If you're an Italian lover, you owe it to yourself (and your loved one!) to try Fettuccine Alfredo the right way. Trust me, the Olive Garden way is WRONG. Step 1 (this is the only not-so-frugal part): go get a half-pound of really good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. This will probably run you $10, but it's worth it. The pasta can just be 1 pound (1 box) of standard boxed fettuccine, and all you need besides that is 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 6 tablespoons of butter. You'll want the parmigiano finely grated (like big pieces of sand), but I cheat and just throw it in a food processor to get it that way. ;)

Boil your water (add some salt for flavor), and cook the pasta for about 7 minues, slightly underdone. Drain it in a colander immediately after. While the pasta is cooking, put the butter over medium heat until melted, but don't let it color. As soon as it's melted, take it off the heat until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is drained, put the butter back over medium-high heat, and pour the pasta and cream into the pan. Mix it all together for 2 to 3 minutes so the cream coats and soaks into the pasta - very little of it should be left in the pan. Then toss in 1 1/2 cups of the parmigiano (if you bought a half-pound you'll have a little more than that) and mix it all together to let the cheese melt, probably no more than a minute more.

Add pepper to taste and serve - sprinkle any extra cheese over your dish. That's it! It takes less than 20 minutes, the only costly part is the cheese, and you will NEVER want to have "Olive Garden" alfredo again, I promise you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Buy your own food and cook it at home. Send the kids to bed a bit earlier and snuggle up together with a romantic move and warm blankets.

Why not use the ipod gadget to send v songs to the other?
Make munchies.

I was always told that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Cook a lavish meal with lots of love, and I'm sure your man will absolutely love that gift!

Thanks to you, Walmart, the sponsors, and the other 11 Moms for the chance. Happy Val's Day!

I think a great V-day date that is frugal and yet meaningful is the most simplest: Staying in and having both people cook dinner, and then afterwards sitting down to watch some movies (each person gets to choose one video!!!). As for gifts, no need to spend!! Why not have each individual create a card/letter to the other to express their love for one another and/or give a handmade gift! Although being able to eat out is nice, I think being able to enjoy each other's company at home without company is far more meaningful.

Thanks.

My fiance and I have been trying to pinch every penny over the last year for our June Wedding. This month we will be taking it a step futher with a no spending month. Aside from essential groceries and other clear NEEDs we will not spend and cash on wants. We saved up a few gift cards from Christmas so we can go on a date, but other than that we will be at home enjoying each other's company and preparing items for the wedding. We plan to save around $400 this month and day dreaming about the wedding is pretty romantic if you ask me! It does help that Feb is the shorted month though ;).

Eating and cooking at home always saves money!

I will be writing down the story of how we met in either children's storybook format or as a slideshow/simple movie with illustrations.

how about burning a cd with songs that mean a lot to both.........or some handmade "tickets" that can redeemed for such things as a favorite home cooked meal, or no whining during the basketball playoffs, or a few hours of UNDIVIDED attention.......or control of the remote......

Cheesy though it is, the best (and cheapest) Valentine's Day gift I've ever received was a love letter handwritten on lined paper. In this fast-paced, high-tech world, it is a rare gift when a person takes the time to express how they feel in a meaningful way.

On the day of Feb. 15th, I always write what me and my girlfriend did every week until February 7th of the next year, where I would spend that entire week making a calendar of our past.

She looks forward to it every year.

It's simple, but I always make my husband's favorite dessert, chocolate pudding, from scratch. I do add some chocolate chips for an extra touch. We take the dessert over to the couch to eat and just enjoy each others company.

Hubby and I had a tragic loss in our family about 11 years ago just before Valentines, so now, what we do, is buy a bag or two of chocolate hearts and go downtown and give them out to whomever looks like they need a little bit of our chocolate love.

It costs just a few dollars and really it makes us feel wonderful! (and I hope whomever we give them too feel wonderful also)

Thanks

I'll bake a pink cake with pink frosting and sprinkles instead of buying all kinds of chocolate.

To make valentines day special, my husband and I each toss a little something extra in the grocery cart. For instance, I wouldn't normally buy the Starbucks coffee, but for Valentines we treat ourselves. We might pick up a dvd movie we've been wanting to see, and upgrade our Ale to a premium micro brew.

In our early "not a penny to our names" days we would go to the nearest Hallmark store, each pick out the perfect Valentine card, exchange them, gently read them & return them to the rack. Probably not what Hallmark had in mind when they said "When you care to send the very best!", but it worked for us.

Make your own Valentine cards at home-the sentiment is more heartfelt and bake and decorate either an angel food cake(with pink icing or make a large heart shaped chocolate chip cookie and decorate.

Instead of an expensive meal out I cook my husbands favorite meal along with a heart shaped cake or cookie. I bought a heart shaped pan many years ago and use it every year..semtaylor(at)yahoo(dot)com

We like to cook a wonderful special meal at home together and share a nice bottle of wine.

Will make my DH a big heart shaped Chocolate Chip Cookie (fill a pizza pan sheet!!)....will pipe border around cookie and a heart-felt greeting

My parents always go to the nearest Hallmark store on Feb. 14th..
pick out a card... hand them to each other, read them then put them back. If that isn't frugal, i don't know what is !!

We have never spent a pile of money on Valentines. I would rather go out for a nice dinner on my birthday than share a special day with everyone else and fight the crowds just cause someone says it is the day to say "I love you". I like to get something small but special for each of my kids. Last year I baked and decorated a heart shaped cake and I plan on doing something like that again this year.

We usually have a nice quiet dinner at home. Sometimes I'll cook and sometimes we order out. My husband says it's up to me. We both don't like to go out because of the crowds.

I always save money on V-day by making my girlfriend a present and cooking at home rather than eating out.

For our family celebration, we'll bake a Valentine cake...without having to purchase & use a heart shaped cake pan. I hate to spend $ on a special shaped pan...plus it takes up more space. I will mix up 1 cake mix (purchased on sale & with a coupon) and pour it into 2 basic cake pans: 1 square & 1 round cake pan. After they are done baking & have cooled a little...take them out of the pans to finish cooling. When cooled, cut the circle in 1/2...turn the square, so it looks like a diamond. Then place the 1/2 circle on the upper part of the diamond, with the straight side/cut side of the circle matching up on the diamond. Frost with frosting purchased on sale & with a coupon =) the children love the treat of eating by candlelight...so, we may eat our cake by candelight =)

I definitely like the showering together idea, I usually give my hubby coupons for different things that he likes.
Great giveaway, Thanks for the chance!

a trip to bk and a box of chocolates

My frugal V-day tip would be to go handmade! I'm all about Do It Yourself. You can have your kids make handmade valentines to give away in school. Use glue and construction paper markers and fun embellishments like glitter, lace, and ribbon. You can even attach a candy to each handmade card to "sweet" the deal.

If you're single, spend your V-day indoors. Make a quiet at home dinner, pop in a favorite DVD, take a hot bath and afterwards put on your favorite pajamas.

If you've got a sweetie, make eachother Valentines day cards. Using white posterboard, maybe include a cute poem inside and photos of you two together. Make dinner together, instead of going to a restaurant. Cooking together can be very romantic! Give eachother a massage, and after the kids go to sleep, have some grown up alone time.

1. Pull out the cookie cutters and make heart-shaped cookies.
2. Cut your lunch sandwiches into hearts.
3. Make heart-shaped cupcakes by placing a marble inside each muffin tin on the outside of the paper cupcake cup.
4. The gift certificate idea might be just the ticket for you if you’re short on cash but high on love this Valentine’s Day. You could offer to run errands for your loved one, make a nice dinner, clean the house, repair the car or give a massage.
5. How about a Love Scavenger Hunt? - Using a package of inexpensive Valentines from the drug store or grocery store — or, for that matter, any kind of paper — you could write out dozens of reasons why you love your mate. Leave the messages all over the house, in both noticeable and hidden-away places. This is a gift that could keep on giving for weeks or months to come.

**My favorite is the one you mentioned here, I used to love mixed tapes, I know they are called 'playlists' now, but they were just so awesome, especially when the person took the time to decorate the outside of the tape box and write down all the track titles and run times so you could 'skip' ahead! :-)

if you plan ahead to schedule time and some babysitting hours if needed , you can turn valentines into a week to be looked forward to every year, you have romantic wink wink time everyday for a week ,you each write little request notes in advance and neither will know what day you will get what, too much pressure if you limit yourself to one night with proper planning there is no stress or not enough time, will be a week that keeps you smiling all year , and one you will look forward to next year

We make our own homemade fondue for Valentine's Day dessert--we cut up strawberries, bananas, & marshmallows to dip in chocolate with a touch of grand marnier

My husband's B-day is Feb 10 and with V-Day just 4 days later, I have had to be pretty clever about getting the most bang for my buck. I find the best way to do this is to make gifts. I have made him a scrapbook of all our v-Days and birthdays together and using Shutterfly to create gifts is always cheaper if you look for codes online.

36-condom variety pack at Amazon only $3.75

You'll be set for the next 36 Valentine's days.

My hubby loves being frugal on VD day. He says VD came about because the card co0mpanies needed a holiday in Feb!!LOL We use the same red candles for dinner for the last 5 yrs, I light them, he says looks good now blow them out. We have recycled one card for 10 yrs. Each year we say I love you and put the current year on it.
This all doesn't bother me because he always gets me something nice for Christmas or my birthday.
Thanks for the giveaway.

I will fix a nice dinner for my wife. Pasta, a little seafood, creme brulee for dessert. We have a fireplace. Her mother will take the kids for us. So we can spend the evening alone. Just us. Quiet. Holding hands.

We have a GC for a local restaurant. Xmas leftover.

I like to make a nice dinner at home and make my girlfriend a mix CD that goes with the evening. A body massage is also part of the deal.

We have not made plans yet this year for Valentine's Day but we will probably eat out on that day at a less expensive restaurant.

A nice candlelight dinner at home with a spectacular dessert.

I buy my candy for VD at the after Christmas sales. This year I got some great Choxie candy at Target for 75% off. Since it isn't in holiday wrapping, my kids will never know ;)

Our family celebrates Valentine's Day with a family dinner (no TV, favorite meals, candles on the table) and home made cards with hand written poems. Kiddo's school had the students write poems to each other so we have continued the tradition at home. Hubby might stop at the store to get a bundle of flowers, but not roses, whatever is cheapest!

We do pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast.

Make the lunch sandwiches shaped like a heart.

Make family favorites for dinner, eat by candlelight. Use butcher paper to cover the table and let the kid draw Valentines on it. Have a heart shaped cake.

The kids look forward to Valentines every year and have fun inviting other family members over for dinner.

alway love the wife on Valentines day or not

We decide ahead of time on a menu for the event. We do the shopping together, the cooking together and then enjoy our meal together. We follow up with a games night for two like we did years ago while dating. Cribbage anyone?

After almost 20 years of marriage there is not a shred of romance left. That sure helps saving money when you can ignore the day altogether.

I make my own valentines day cake instead of buying a store bought one and its just as good!

Baking a heart-shaped cake has always worked with my family, and it's doing something for all of them in one shot.

Making a nice dinner at home with a bottle of wine can be much more enjoyable then going out for an expensive dinner.

Love yourself first and formost, don't sweat it if you don't have someone special to share the day with. Pamper youself with a long luxurious bath, pedicure and manicure and give yourself a facial- lounge all day and do all the things you like to spoil yourself.

We used to go out for supper and a movie, but with a 2 year old we choose to stay in. My husband likes to cook supper and makes me a nice bath. Then we usually watch a dvd rental. Just as nice when you don't have a babysitter or the budget we once had :)

Of all the celebrations of the year, This one touches my heart the most. Heart shaped sugar cookies, with the person's name inscribed. Kinda Big ones. And a personal message. It's traditional, yet fits the day.

Don't cook today, take her out for a romantic candlelight dinner!

My favorite frugal V-Day tip is to spend a virtaul romantic outing playing World of Warcraft sitting side-by-side on our computers, munching on chocolats adn wine while we play.
tegrady@hotmail.com

You gotta have chocolate on v day.

since i am a student, and single.. i am poor, and am not favorable to valentines day,

but to cheer myself up, my day will include acting like i am 12:

old style sleepover with movies, mac-and-cheese and coke floats!

classic, and uber-cheap!!!!! and everyone will be happY!

Cook a nice, romantic meal at home instead of going out to eat.

I help my grandchildren make valentines for their parents. We also bake cookies to give as gifts. Cost effective and creative gift.

Gifts for your loved one should be heartfelt and noncommercial!

Being a student and having to pay for tuition, I'm always broke! So I've had to get creative when it comes to giving my boyfriend presents.

Last year what I did was this:

I spent a month writing & perfecting a heartfelt poem for him, (how much I loved him, the things I love about him, how much he meant the world to me, etc). It took me a month because I wanted it to be so special, personal and perfect (I started writing it in January).

Then I went to a discount store to find a nice glass picture frame. I also bought a Silver colored permanent marker.

I found a beautiful black and white photo of the two of us, put it into the frame, and very carefully, in calligraphy-like handwriting, used the permanent marker to write out the poem on the glass frame around where the photo would be displayed.

After the ink dried, I put the finished photo frame in a gift box with tissue wrap, and gave it to him. I think this gift was more valuable and memorable than anything I've ever bought for him - it took me a lot of time, thought, and effort but he loves it and and still has it on his nightstand 4 years later.

no plans

I always save on going out by making my husbands favorite "Heart shaped" meatloaf with a nice bottle of Merlot.

This year I am so excited about what I have planned. I'm giving my husband a memory:

My husbands b-day is the day before Valentine's Day... so I wanted to plan a fun/romantic evening on that Friday. I found out that there's a drive-in movie theater about 45 minutes from our house.

I plan to put some blankets in the trunk, pack up a mini birthday cake, some hot chocolate, and set the GPS to get us there. (He likes to drive.) I also am making a list of his all-time favorite songs to listen to on the way there and the way back... 1 1/2 hours of music just for him.

On the way, I plan to take his order for the food he wants (from the menu printed from the internet and hidden in my purse). While I go get it (when we arrive), I'll give him a letter full of love and memories that he can read while he listens to songs that he loves. (I am also asking his family to send him fun and happy memories in cards in manila envelopes addressed to me... because they live far away and can't be here to celebrate.)

And we'll arrive home after midnight, which will be Valentine's Day. I'll then give him a card telling him the reasons I love him, how thankful I am for him, how proud I am of who he is, how blessed I am to be his wife, and just how much I am looking forward to making many more memories together. Hopefully, it'll be a Birthday and Valentine's Day he'll never forget.

We splurge at the grocery store instead of going out. We get a nicer steak or good seafood and a nicer bottle of wine. We enjoy cooking together and find that the romance isnt so forced as it is waiting at an over booked crowded restruant which will cost 3 times as much in the long run.

We make our own cards and use our own sentiments!