Five ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without spending a cent

It’s that time of year again when love and affection take centre stage and your wallet looks a little worse for wear with the inevitable spending that the cliched Valentine’s Day pressies like flowers, chocolates and jewellery bring.

But what if you thought outside the box? Given that Cupid’s special day can be a little overrated, it only makes sense to get creative when it comes to celebrating with your loved one.

That’s why the money-minded love birds at Mozo have put their thinking caps on and brought you five ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day this February 14th without having to spend a cent.

1. Organise a movie night
   Most of us are subscribed to Netflix or other movie streaming platforms, so why not deck out the living room with lots of pillows, grab your biggest doona, a bag of microwave popcorn ($2 for a 100g bag from Coles) and wind down to your hand-picked romantic movies list?
   
2. Create some DIY love coupons
   Make your significant other a booklet of special coupons for spoiling them. These can be as casual or as intimate as you want. Think, a ‘30 minute foot massage’ or ‘breakfast in bed’, use them when you need to. But make sure to choose your coupons wisely, you don’t want to spend your time doing something you hate!
   
3. Write your partner a love letter
   It might sound a little old school and on the borderline of being cheesy, but an old fashioned love letter will bring back the emotional spark between a couple. Most of us are tickled pink with a sweet text from our better half, imagine the impact a thoughtful love letter or simple poem could make?
   
4. Put a twist on dinner
   Everyone’s got to eat, so why not make your Valentine’s Day dinner extra romantic by dimming the lights, lighting a few candles and playing some romantic music? Perhaps you could cook their favourite meal or experiment with a new cuisine this February 14th to make the night a memorable one.
   
5. Enjoy a sunrise or sunset
   Plan a stunning sunrise or epic sunset somewhere scenic for your special someone to blow them away. Make sure you allow enough time to make it to your destination, perhaps even pack some snacks and drinks to spend some time at the look out too.

So, this year, instead of wasting your hard earned cash towards frivolous presents and overpriced flowers, why not start a savings account together and see what couple goals you can reach?