Frugal Valentine's Day Ideas

Sometimes the words in our head don't always come out the way that that we want them to. So for those of us that sometimes can't say how we feel to the person we love and adore, here are some frugal Valentine's tips for you.

A beautiful poem, printed off nicely, or if your handwriting allows (or someone you know who has beautiful handwriting), write it off on a beautiful piece of notepaper and deliver it to your loved one. One really great poem is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning called For Love's Sake. Memorizing it would give you more brownie points ;)

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love's sake only. Do not say

"I love her for her smile--her look--her way

Of speaking gently,--for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

A sense of ease on such a day"--

For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may

Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheek dry,-

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love's sake, that evermore

Thou mayest love on, through love's eternity.

Writing your own love letter is something that everyone loves.

Write a top 10 list of what you love about them.

Get up before your loved one and print off words that you think of that describe them and post them around the house or in a trail leading to a breakfast table with a meal already made for them.

Grant them a night of watching a movie that you know they would love that you would turn up your nose at and have all the wonderful snacks that they love ready for them.

A few extra tips for Valentine's Day:

Instead of getting them flowers, buy a plant of their favourite flowers so they can enjoy them all summer as well.

Make a lovely dinner for yourselves at home that you wouldn't normally make. Better still, get one person to make the dinner and one the dessert! Light some candles, pull out the good dishes, table cloth, linen napkins and have some lovely music already lined up on your ipod to play during dinner. If you are parents of little children, have the dinner after they all go to bed (hint here if you want some extra time together in the evening, put them to bed earlier than normal! If you have children that are able to tell time, move the clocks ahead in the home to the time you want it to be. Note: make sure you get ALL the clocks and that you don't forget to turn them back afterwards. We do this every so often and none of them realize what's happening. Our oldest is 10!)

Enjoy your day!

Reminder for our other giveaway!

Another great frugal Valentine Day idea would be for you to work off all the chocolates that you made and ate in the last post. This is the last week to enter your frugal healthy recipe to win exercise classes for you and one other person. Check out the post here. Come on, it would be really fun!

Frugal Valentine's Day Ideas

It's coming up. That one day of the year where we all get together to celebrate love and especially to celebrate our love for the person that we are inlove with. Unfortunately, it has become totally commercialized and can be very expensive. For the next bit we are going to be highlighting inexpensive or free Valentine's Day ideas (or any other dating event for that matter!)


What better way to start off with than food! Chocolates and candy are the first thing that comes to my mind. I have done some searching to find some sites that offer recipes and directions on how to make chocolates and candy.


Chocolate Truffles sound so delicious. I found a great sounding recipe over at the Pastiche Family Portal. I think that the only thing that I would add to this or any chocolate making recipe, would be to pour the chocolate into moulded ice cube trays for a shape as well. Just a thought.

Chocolate Truffles 1 1/2 (12 oz ) bag of sweet chocolate 1 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla grated chocolate

Melt chocolate in double boiler or however you prefer. Add milk, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth and thick. Remove from stove and cool. When cool use butter on your fingers and take about 1 teaspoon of mixture and roll into balls and coat with grated chocolate. You can also roll the balls in red and white sprinkles for some color and then put in your mini cupcake holders.


If you don't know how to make chocolates and would like a full tutorial. I found a link to one place here. 


Another idea would be to take pretzel sticks and dip them in melted chocolate. You can get red chocolate at baking supply store or bulk stores. Melt it over a double boiler and dip the pretzel in it. Then you could always take the chocolate covered pretzel and roll them in sprinkles, cinnamon hearts or double dip them in a second colour for a different effect. 


I wonder what chocolate has to do with Valentine's Day? Anyone know.


Next chocolate thing, more dipping.


Mix up a batch of shortbread cookies and use Valentine shape cookie cutters to cut out shapes to bake. After they are baked, you could icing them, or you could dip them in melted chocolate as well. Then there are always chocolate dipped strawberries and other fruit. You could even do a fondue together!


Well, that's all my chocolate stuff for the day. I figured I would start with these so that you have time to taste test them ;) 


What do you like to make from chocolate for Valentine's Day? Please drop a comment off and share. 


Enjoy your day!