10 Romantic Ideas On A Budget
I'm stealing this from my other blog. I wrote this for a support group I ran back in Seattle this time last year. But I think it really works for everyone. With Valentine's Day coming up, I'm hoping this gives a few ideas.
1. Don't let a special night get ruined by the lack of money. It's easy to get bogged down listening to people talk about all the new presents that they have brought. The most important thing to remember is your time, your attention and that you acknowledge the other person.
2. When giving a gift, minimize instead of doing without. Just because others can give a dozen roses doesn't mean you can make giving one rose just as meaningful. Put a twist on giving one rose by placing it between your lips. Or buy her favorite flowers instead of roses, these can be less expensive sometimes. Instead of buying a box of chocolates, buy one special bar, cover the label with one that you made with a special message. Or shop the Christmas clearance, remove the Christmas packaging and replace with your handmade Valentine packaging.
Search for discount/coupons from places like Groupon, Spotted Fox, Goldstar, Living Social or Restaurant.com. Even the coupons from the Sunday paper can have good ideas.
3. Going out. Pick a favorite spot, a small pub or a hole in the wall place with awesome food rather than a pricey restaurant where you have to guess which fork to use. You'll worry less about the price and actually enjoy yourself more.
4. Make your own presents. Erotic magnets(can get the make your own magnet sheets at Office Depot, Staples, Office Max, etc). Hand drawn coupons for fun(good for a massage, bubble bath, etc), edible lube in your favorite flavors and custom bath salts. If you want to make a card and don't know what to say, look at online cards for ideas. Just remember the grade school cards aren't really appropriate unless your trying to remind the other person that you met when you were children.
5. Food presents. If you can't cook, the idea of making dinner for someone is probably not a pleasant thought. So the next thing that comes to mind is lets do wine and cheese. There are lots of websites out there to help figure out which wine goes with which cheese. Not everyone drinks. So I thought of something anyone can do, how about a fruit basket. It might sound odd. Use unusual fruits such as star fruit, dragon fruit, cherimoya, kumquats, kiwis, and lychees. Label everything and then try out the fruit together.
6. Do a chore. This present doesn't seem like much, because most people leave this open ended. Which makes it appear that you forgot the occasion or to buy a present and thought it up spur of the moment. Instead say "I'm detailing your car this Saturday," or "I'm walking your dog all of next week, starting with tomorrow." It makes it sound like you thought up a plan and now your going to follow through with it. Just makes sure to pick a chore you know how to do.
7. Catch them off guard. Randomly sneak off to a secluded location, learn something new, from a dance move to memorizing a favorite poem. Never stop learning. Your brain is your sexiest part of your body.
8. Find a scent that you like and only wear it when you have something romantic planned. The area of the brain that processes scent also processes emotion and memory. So get your partner to associate a certain scent with romance. If you have the money I would highly recommend trying out the Donas line of products. They are more subtle then Axes products and also more unisex. They have pheromones built into the products.
9. Work within your comforts. Don't try something new if your trying to impress. I've heard tons of horror stories. For example a couple that went on a romantic hike and got lost. Winter temps can be cruel at night.
10. Have dates as often as you can. Even if it's just going out for a cup of coffee. Nothing keeps a relationship healthier then making time for each other, more then once or twice a year.
Check out:
DIY Bath Salts.
Planning A Winter Picnic
Planning My Valentine's Dinner
Valentine's Dinner Ideas
1. Don't let a special night get ruined by the lack of money. It's easy to get bogged down listening to people talk about all the new presents that they have brought. The most important thing to remember is your time, your attention and that you acknowledge the other person.
2. When giving a gift, minimize instead of doing without. Just because others can give a dozen roses doesn't mean you can make giving one rose just as meaningful. Put a twist on giving one rose by placing it between your lips. Or buy her favorite flowers instead of roses, these can be less expensive sometimes. Instead of buying a box of chocolates, buy one special bar, cover the label with one that you made with a special message. Or shop the Christmas clearance, remove the Christmas packaging and replace with your handmade Valentine packaging.
$.99 Clearanced IKEA Winter Candle Reg $6.99
Search for discount/coupons from places like Groupon, Spotted Fox, Goldstar, Living Social or Restaurant.com. Even the coupons from the Sunday paper can have good ideas.
3. Going out. Pick a favorite spot, a small pub or a hole in the wall place with awesome food rather than a pricey restaurant where you have to guess which fork to use. You'll worry less about the price and actually enjoy yourself more.
4. Make your own presents. Erotic magnets(can get the make your own magnet sheets at Office Depot, Staples, Office Max, etc). Hand drawn coupons for fun(good for a massage, bubble bath, etc), edible lube in your favorite flavors and custom bath salts. If you want to make a card and don't know what to say, look at online cards for ideas. Just remember the grade school cards aren't really appropriate unless your trying to remind the other person that you met when you were children.
5. Food presents. If you can't cook, the idea of making dinner for someone is probably not a pleasant thought. So the next thing that comes to mind is lets do wine and cheese. There are lots of websites out there to help figure out which wine goes with which cheese. Not everyone drinks. So I thought of something anyone can do, how about a fruit basket. It might sound odd. Use unusual fruits such as star fruit, dragon fruit, cherimoya, kumquats, kiwis, and lychees. Label everything and then try out the fruit together.
6. Do a chore. This present doesn't seem like much, because most people leave this open ended. Which makes it appear that you forgot the occasion or to buy a present and thought it up spur of the moment. Instead say "I'm detailing your car this Saturday," or "I'm walking your dog all of next week, starting with tomorrow." It makes it sound like you thought up a plan and now your going to follow through with it. Just makes sure to pick a chore you know how to do.
7. Catch them off guard. Randomly sneak off to a secluded location, learn something new, from a dance move to memorizing a favorite poem. Never stop learning. Your brain is your sexiest part of your body.
8. Find a scent that you like and only wear it when you have something romantic planned. The area of the brain that processes scent also processes emotion and memory. So get your partner to associate a certain scent with romance. If you have the money I would highly recommend trying out the Donas line of products. They are more subtle then Axes products and also more unisex. They have pheromones built into the products.
9. Work within your comforts. Don't try something new if your trying to impress. I've heard tons of horror stories. For example a couple that went on a romantic hike and got lost. Winter temps can be cruel at night.
10. Have dates as often as you can. Even if it's just going out for a cup of coffee. Nothing keeps a relationship healthier then making time for each other, more then once or twice a year.
Check out:
DIY Bath Salts.
Planning A Winter Picnic
Planning My Valentine's Dinner
Valentine's Dinner Ideas
True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever-growing process. It develops after you've gone through many ups and downs, when you have suffered together, cried together, laughed together.
-- Ricardo Montalban
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