Valentine's Day on a Budget: Good for the Heart and the Wallet

Hi everyone! I'm Kelly. I am one of the Massachusetts reps, and I write A Lovely Life, Indeed. 

This morning, my sweet husband asked me about our plans for Valentine's Day, or more specifically, whether we had any, and if we did not, what was it that I wanted to do. 

I probably gave him the answer that many men want, but one that they may or may not suggest themselves.

"Let's stay in," I said. 

The eyebrow went up and he was quiet for a moment, only to be reassured when he heard my reasoning. 

For starters, he has been teaching a class on Saturdays for the last six weeks, so we have been playing catch up on weekends. Also, we're going away with friends next weekend, so a romantic night in sounds great. 
Valentine's Day may be a Hallmark holiday, but nevertheless, it is the perfect day to show a little love. 

Luckily, love doesn't have to break the bank. 

Also, in keeping it low key, you focus on the one you love, without having to buy into the commercial nonsense that dilutes the magic of the night. 

And when it comes down to it, isn't it better canoodling with your plus one at home, rather than waiting for a rushed, overpriced, pre-fixe, and perhaps, mediocre meal at an overcrowded bar or restaurant?

Here are some ways to celebrate the love of Valentine's Day and keep to your spending goals at the same time.

1. Set the tone. Put a note in his lunch...romantic or naughty and inviting. Give him a clue as to what's to come. 

2. Flirt throughout the day. Send a text, loving or suggestive. Build the excitement and carry it throughout the day.

3. Stay in. We make homemade pizza and open a bottle of wine. He makes the pizza and opens the wine and I, well, I sip the wine, dig out the supplies and occasionally flick a little flour around to start a little trouble. 

Markup on drinks average 300-400%. Why not stay in with a bottle of your own wine, some food to get you through the night, and a little Diana Krall or Chris Botti on Pandora? You set the stage. You control the ingredients.  You make the magic.

And, if you're not lucky enough to have a working fireplace in your home, you can always channel your own via Neflix...seriously. 

The cozy view courtesy of Netflix

4. Celebrate with friends. Couples' night or Girls' Night In...have people over and celebrate with tapas and sangria, or whatever flavor palate suits your fancy. 

5. Borrow from his closet. I don't know if it's in their DNA, but guys... or at least my guy... loves the idea of me donning one of his shirts. Who needs expensive lingerie? Try the work shirt. Or a tie and heels...you're good to go. A win-win.

Can you go out and break the bank with reservations at a fancy restaurant, drinks at a trendy bar, flowers to decorate your home or office, and gifts to mark the day? Absolutely. 

But, if you're on a plan to eliminate debt or grow your savings, or if you simply prefer to have your beloved to yourself, and not share among the throngs of others celebrating among you, then a romantic night in may be just the thing.

It's good for the wallet, it's good for the heart, and if you play your cards right, it's good for the body. 

Cheers!

What are some of your romantic, low-budget date night ideas?

Thank you to Northeast Bloggers Network for letting me guest post. If you're looking for an upbeat blog about love, travel and the good life, visit me at A Lovely Life, Indeed. Have a great week!

Connect with us!

The Friday Five Hop and Five Ways to Be Grateful This Month

 Welcome to the Friday Five, our weekly link up for all those Friday Five, Five on a Friday, High Five for Friday types of posts!  Check out our Friday Five post and then link up below!  Today's post is written by state rep Valerie!

It’s crazy that as soon as Halloween is over, out come all the Christmas decorations, commercials, music, you name it! Some people fully embrace it, while others turn into the Grinch. Now, I’m all about Christmas (it is after all one of my favorite holidays) but it upsets me that we seem to totally forget/skip over a very important holiday- Thanksgiving! Instead of rushing around and freaking out about Christmas gifts and holiday plans, we should really be taking this month to focus on what we are thankful for. What we are grateful for as the year comes to an end. That’s what Thanksgiving is really all about (plus, food, of course). So before you get yourself all up in a frenzy over the upcoming holiday season, take a moment today to reflect on your life and what you are truly grateful for. Sure, we may not have it all, but we all certainly have things to be thankful for. Learn to appreciate the little things (and the big things!) and try to spend the next couple of weeks in this mindset. Here’s a short list of some things you can do to help you get started.

1. Send out snail mail to loved ones - How often do you still send out letters or greeting cards “just for fun”? Just to let someone know you miss them or how much they mean to you? This is a perfect way to put a smile on someone’s face and I guarantee it will make you feel better, too. 

2. Make a list of five things you are grateful happened to you this year - This one can be super easy or if you really want to dig into it, super hard. Instead of thinking of the ordinary “happy” moments that happened to you, think of the hard moments. The heart wrenching ones. Then think about how they changed you and what you got out of it. Even in our darkest moments, there is always some light to be shed. There is always a lesson to learn. Try and come up with a list and when you’re done maybe you’ll realize that those difficult moments held something positive in them. 

3. Go on a nature walk alone - Usually our most profound moments of thinking happen when we’re by ourselves. Even better, when you’re surrounded by the beauty and stillness of nature, it’s even easier to remind yourself of all that is good. Nature has a way of bringing out these thoughts. 

4. Go through old photo albums - While yes, this has the potential of making you sad, at least you have a reason to be sad. That means in your lifetime you made memories that were worth remembering, worth missing and worth reminiscing. They can also make you smile or laugh as you remember those moments. They can make you appreciate so much. They will also make you stop and realize that life moves pretty fast if you don’t stop and look around every once in awhile and hopefully this holiday season you will slow down and take the time to make new memories with family and friends.

5. Call someone you haven’t in awhile - It can be a long lost friend, your grandma you never speak to anymore (shame on you!), someone whose been super busy and so have you so you guys haven’t had the chance to talk, etc. Just call someone to catch up with them, see how they are doing, talk about life, anything really. It’s so easy to disconnect from people nowadays. We all get busy, but you need to remember that life is short. Don’t lose touch with your loved ones. A quick phone call can become the highlight of someone’s day, maybe even yours. 

What else have you done to help you realize all you have to be grateful for?

And now it's your turn!  Link up your Friday Five post below and be sure to hop around and visit a few others on the link up!

Connect with us!