My husband worked in the flower business for years, and VD was the most horrific nightmare due to the pressure put on the men. We have turned our backs on all ridiculous "Hallmark holidays" and just have a special date once a month. We also treat each other with care and love each day, and at night lounge in the hottub together after the kids go to bed instead of watching meaningless TV. Keeping our love alive! 10 years this year and 8-year-old triplets make it a challenge, but we're doing well so far!!
Just wanted to note that 60% off a $25 gift certificate would have a final cost of $10, not $4. This sounds pretty great, though. I'll check out what they've got in my area. Thanks!
My husband and I have often had a special valentines day dinner: heart shaped pizza. The local pizzaria will make you one if you request it. Inexpensive, fun, and keeps us within our budget. Add pepperoni if you'd like your heart pizza to be red!
Thanks for posting. I've been home bound for the last two months and had time out last night at a strip mall. Maybe it was the contrast. While at home everything was fine. A cup of tea, some good reads, some projects, that's all it took. It struck me, I gotta stay out of stores. All those things I never knew I needed were screaming for attention. No wonder our kids come home from school with the "gotta haves".
Hey, have fun with your art projects! BTW Not sure where you're located, but have you ever heard of Pearl Paint on Canal St. in Manhattan? Great prices.
I've used boilerbookstore.com, they only sell to purdue, but they solve the problem of using amazon and searching ISBNs. All i did was put in my courses. Shipping wasn't the cheapest, but its easy
This is a great deal! My husband and I like to go out to eat quite a bit, but we're trying to save money and cook more. This will be a great way to go out and save money!
What I do on a tight budget is go to the party store they always have the holiday theme! I get a few cheap items like heart gardland a bow tissue paper a pink gift bag adhesive letters ect. The total was 12 dollars! I created a painting with stuff I had on hand and accented with the letters I painted red (I used xoxo <3) and a little bit of the heart garland to frame it. I also made a custom gift bag I made the plain pink bag into an amazing bag I like more than the gift with house hold items! A collage is also a great idea! Recycling old magazines into a beatiful work of art worthy of hanging on the wall. I used a wide white shoe box top and covered logo with larger pieces of festive pictures or words. But I have to say the best thing I did cheapest to, was to easily customize my own paper! If you have a scanner or copier you can do the following: I took the red letters (xoxo <3) placed them on the copier and made a few copies. I then wrote letters on the decorative paper as well as Poems, so you get the great expensive look for pennies! Hope I helped!!!!
I usually make my own Valentine's Day cards and decorate them nicely before handing them out to my friends/loved ones.
I also buy all sorts of cool things from 99cents Store and improvise with them (hats, decorations, cards, flowers, etc)
As someone who doesn't own a television and doesn't think he'll be getting one anytime soon, if ever again, I love this post and I think Debbie Dragon is probably No. 5 on the 10,000 coolest names ever list. Don't forget they have set-top on-Demand boxes that are coming out that are linkable to PCs and LCD screens if you want that surround sound feel. Indeed, TV as we know it and cable bills should be a thing of the past. It will be interesting to see if the Internet cannabilizes network programming like it did the movie industry.
Sincerely,
--- A Follower of Personal Finance Guru Johnny U. (Time to get Riyyyyyyyatccccchhh)
I hear you. I'm particularly horrible about buying things online. I'll get it into my head that I need some random widget, obsess over it for days, research it online, buy it, compulsively check UPS.com until it arrives, play with it for a week, then ignore it for several years until it gets donated to the Salvation Army.
I've been using delicious to curb this behavior. Now when I get into the obsessive phase, I'll save the item with a "want" tag instead of buying it. It's easier to put it out of my head knowing that I check the "want" list periodically (vs. consciously trying to not think about something). About 80% of the time I've already reached the "what was I thinking?" stage by the time the "OK to buy" date rolls around, and I seem to actually use the remaining 20% that I end up buying, so it's worked well so far.
For a frugal night out, buy $20 Hot Tix at the Ahmanson and use points accumulated through Open Table reservations for a restaurant gift certificate that will pay for your Valentine's Day meal.
I atcually like my bottled water, and i know your probaly a big JOHN MUIR fan an what not, but just let us enjoy our lives whether it hurts the earth or not.
When I graduated from high school. I wanted some time off. I just wanted to get away from it all. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was scared to take that next step forward in life. So I packed my bags and headed to Arizona. I wanted to started over and get to know myself. During the months I was in Arizona. I held serval...I MEAN SERVAL jobs. The thing I noticed more is that I do not want to end up like the 40 year old people working here for crappy pay.
This is when acting came into mind. I remeber everytime I went to acting class I always stood out. Just being on the stage and the feeling I get everytime was like ecsctasy.
The teacher always praised me on my talent. He said I was just a natural born talent that comes every serval years. He told me I should really consider this as my career. But this is where the major problem happens. Money....I couldn't keep up with my rent. I couln't keep up with my car payments. The bills just kept on coming. Then I couldn't even pay for my acting classes. And in the end I had to move back to my parents in N.H
The thing is I would do anything to follow my dreams. But the way the ecomony is. Moving to L.A to follow my dreams just seems impossbile.
Evntually with the money I earn from acting. I want to help people who are in dire need of fincial need. I want to be someone they can ask for in help.
Wisebread is one of the most useful web sites. The topics are very timely for this current economic crisis. Even after we recover from this recession/depression, the advice written will still be very practical. Ptacticing frugality and efficient use of our resources gives us freedom and helps us manage our time wisely. It is exciting to read comments, ideas and suggestions from a group of well read and intelligent contributors. Thank you all!
Once when I was a single gal on Valentine's day, I decided to make old-fashioned paper valentines, each with a simple anonymous note: You are Loved. I drove around a part of town that had long driveways with mailboxes by the road, and every now and then I'd pop one of my valentines in to a random mailbox. It was an enjoyable act, and I hope caused a few smiles.
Maybe it's time to start a new tradition of making this holiday personal. Take the time to write a note, a poem, a declaration of what loving thing you will do this year (a Valentine's resolution, if you will) and make it happen. Shop for food together and make a special meal. This day doesn't have to be commercialized! Make it between the two of you and don't involve your checkbook whatsoever.
A scrapbook is a romantic way to put all the good memories you've had as a couple in one book. Things to include may be: photos, movie stubs, tickets to events, maps of places traveled, favorite quotes, business cards of restaurants you've been to... all in a nice book. To make it easier, companies like shutterfly can create a custom book for only $30. Just upload your pictures and add captions.
Another romantic gesture would be to create a treasure hunt that takes you both to special places. You can pack a picnic: something simple like sandwiches, fruit, and fresh-squeezed juice is simple but romantic.
If the weather is bad, a home cooked meal at home with candles and a romantic comedy movie works too.
The most important thing is spending time with each other...it's cheap but priceless.
My husband worked in the flower business for years, and VD was the most horrific nightmare due to the pressure put on the men. We have turned our backs on all ridiculous "Hallmark holidays" and just have a special date once a month. We also treat each other with care and love each day, and at night lounge in the hottub together after the kids go to bed instead of watching meaningless TV. Keeping our love alive! 10 years this year and 8-year-old triplets make it a challenge, but we're doing well so far!!
Just wanted to note that 60% off a $25 gift certificate would have a final cost of $10, not $4. This sounds pretty great, though. I'll check out what they've got in my area. Thanks!
Just what I was thinking. So stupid to use an Itunes giftcard when there's piratebay
My husband and I have often had a special valentines day dinner: heart shaped pizza. The local pizzaria will make you one if you request it. Inexpensive, fun, and keeps us within our budget. Add pepperoni if you'd like your heart pizza to be red!
I'm really loving BTR! And I'm loving your show, too! It's hard for me to listen live, but I try to catch the archive.
Thanks for posting. I've been home bound for the last two months and had time out last night at a strip mall. Maybe it was the contrast. While at home everything was fine. A cup of tea, some good reads, some projects, that's all it took. It struck me, I gotta stay out of stores. All those things I never knew I needed were screaming for attention. No wonder our kids come home from school with the "gotta haves".
Hey, have fun with your art projects! BTW Not sure where you're located, but have you ever heard of Pearl Paint on Canal St. in Manhattan? Great prices.
I've used boilerbookstore.com, they only sell to purdue, but they solve the problem of using amazon and searching ISBNs. All i did was put in my courses. Shipping wasn't the cheapest, but its easy
Great post!
One of the questions I ask myself when making a purchase is: "Will this end up in a tag sale in two years?"
Here is part of my purchase decision process:
http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2008/09/18/quality-and-value.aspx
This is a great deal! My husband and I like to go out to eat quite a bit, but we're trying to save money and cook more. This will be a great way to go out and save money!
What I do on a tight budget is go to the party store they always have the holiday theme! I get a few cheap items like heart gardland a bow tissue paper a pink gift bag adhesive letters ect. The total was 12 dollars! I created a painting with stuff I had on hand and accented with the letters I painted red (I used xoxo <3) and a little bit of the heart garland to frame it. I also made a custom gift bag I made the plain pink bag into an amazing bag I like more than the gift with house hold items! A collage is also a great idea! Recycling old magazines into a beatiful work of art worthy of hanging on the wall. I used a wide white shoe box top and covered logo with larger pieces of festive pictures or words. But I have to say the best thing I did cheapest to, was to easily customize my own paper! If you have a scanner or copier you can do the following: I took the red letters (xoxo <3) placed them on the copier and made a few copies. I then wrote letters on the decorative paper as well as Poems, so you get the great expensive look for pennies! Hope I helped!!!!
Xoxo <3
Chloe'
I usually make my own Valentine's Day cards and decorate them nicely before handing them out to my friends/loved ones.
I also buy all sorts of cool things from 99cents Store and improvise with them (hats, decorations, cards, flowers, etc)
As someone who doesn't own a television and doesn't think he'll be getting one anytime soon, if ever again, I love this post and I think Debbie Dragon is probably No. 5 on the 10,000 coolest names ever list. Don't forget they have set-top on-Demand boxes that are coming out that are linkable to PCs and LCD screens if you want that surround sound feel. Indeed, TV as we know it and cable bills should be a thing of the past. It will be interesting to see if the Internet cannabilizes network programming like it did the movie industry.
Sincerely,
--- A Follower of Personal Finance Guru Johnny U. (Time to get Riyyyyyyyatccccchhh)
Jabulani Leffall
Monetary Gadfly, Common Currency
00000 Broke Blvd. Kitchenette #68 & 1/2
Lowcash, CA 90000-0000
I hear you. I'm particularly horrible about buying things online. I'll get it into my head that I need some random widget, obsess over it for days, research it online, buy it, compulsively check UPS.com until it arrives, play with it for a week, then ignore it for several years until it gets donated to the Salvation Army.
I've been using delicious to curb this behavior. Now when I get into the obsessive phase, I'll save the item with a "want" tag instead of buying it. It's easier to put it out of my head knowing that I check the "want" list periodically (vs. consciously trying to not think about something). About 80% of the time I've already reached the "what was I thinking?" stage by the time the "OK to buy" date rolls around, and I seem to actually use the remaining 20% that I end up buying, so it's worked well so far.
For a frugal night out, buy $20 Hot Tix at the Ahmanson and use points accumulated through Open Table reservations for a restaurant gift certificate that will pay for your Valentine's Day meal.
I atcually like my bottled water, and i know your probaly a big JOHN MUIR fan an what not, but just let us enjoy our lives whether it hurts the earth or not.
Cook and enjoy an intimate dinner at home with your sweetie!
When I graduated from high school. I wanted some time off. I just wanted to get away from it all. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was scared to take that next step forward in life. So I packed my bags and headed to Arizona. I wanted to started over and get to know myself. During the months I was in Arizona. I held serval...I MEAN SERVAL jobs. The thing I noticed more is that I do not want to end up like the 40 year old people working here for crappy pay.
This is when acting came into mind. I remeber everytime I went to acting class I always stood out. Just being on the stage and the feeling I get everytime was like ecsctasy.
The teacher always praised me on my talent. He said I was just a natural born talent that comes every serval years. He told me I should really consider this as my career. But this is where the major problem happens. Money....I couldn't keep up with my rent. I couln't keep up with my car payments. The bills just kept on coming. Then I couldn't even pay for my acting classes. And in the end I had to move back to my parents in N.H
The thing is I would do anything to follow my dreams. But the way the ecomony is. Moving to L.A to follow my dreams just seems impossbile.
Evntually with the money I earn from acting. I want to help people who are in dire need of fincial need. I want to be someone they can ask for in help.
Wisebread is one of the most useful web sites. The topics are very timely for this current economic crisis. Even after we recover from this recession/depression, the advice written will still be very practical. Ptacticing frugality and efficient use of our resources gives us freedom and helps us manage our time wisely. It is exciting to read comments, ideas and suggestions from a group of well read and intelligent contributors. Thank you all!
i've never taken my current wife out for valentines. call me frugal, but i've always cooked a nice meal for her at home.
Once when I was a single gal on Valentine's day, I decided to make old-fashioned paper valentines, each with a simple anonymous note: You are Loved. I drove around a part of town that had long driveways with mailboxes by the road, and every now and then I'd pop one of my valentines in to a random mailbox. It was an enjoyable act, and I hope caused a few smiles.
Maybe it's time to start a new tradition of making this holiday personal. Take the time to write a note, a poem, a declaration of what loving thing you will do this year (a Valentine's resolution, if you will) and make it happen. Shop for food together and make a special meal. This day doesn't have to be commercialized! Make it between the two of you and don't involve your checkbook whatsoever.
I like to use 2 for 1 coupons when going out to eat.
The V gift that I love the best is just being remembered on VD with just a Happy Valentine's Day. The rememberance means so much more than any gift.
A scrapbook is a romantic way to put all the good memories you've had as a couple in one book. Things to include may be: photos, movie stubs, tickets to events, maps of places traveled, favorite quotes, business cards of restaurants you've been to... all in a nice book. To make it easier, companies like shutterfly can create a custom book for only $30. Just upload your pictures and add captions.
Another romantic gesture would be to create a treasure hunt that takes you both to special places. You can pack a picnic: something simple like sandwiches, fruit, and fresh-squeezed juice is simple but romantic.
If the weather is bad, a home cooked meal at home with candles and a romantic comedy movie works too.
The most important thing is spending time with each other...it's cheap but priceless.
great meal at home with a nice dessert and a home-made card:)