According to a survey conducted by USA’s National Retail Federation in 2012, people in US spend about US$126 on average to celebrate Valentine’s Day. How much did you spend last year?
Valentine’s day is not only the day of love, but also the day when the price of flowers is at its highest point of the year and all the fancy restaurants are packed. Instead of having a dinner at an wallet-unfriendly restaurant or sending a box of Godiva chocolates to your best friends or lover, THE RIDGE has come up with various economical ideas to help you spread the love to the important people in your life.
A Getaway Ticket
Valentine’s Day can be some kind of justification to take a break from your hectic university life. Gather some friends for a sleepover and a night of fun and games. All you need is a wide collection of board games and video games or friends that have them. Alternatively, consider arranging a movie marathon night or a potluck party where everyone chips in and has fun!
Fancy Dinner
If your wallet is empty or all the fancy restaurants are fully booked, you might want to rethink your Valentine’s Dinner. Instead of spending a fortune on a fancy dinner, thrill your loved ones by taking him/her to have a picnic under the stars. All you need are homecooked dishes (made with love!), a picnic mat (get one for $2 from Daiso), plastic utensils, paper towels and your Ez-Link card. A few perfect spots are the Sentosa beaches, Botanic Garden and Marina Barrage. Alternatively, you can also arrange a candlelight dinner with your loved ones in the comfort of your own home!
Priceless DIY Gift
Time is much more precious than money. So why don’t you spend some time making some DIY gifts for people you care about on the day of love? Be creative and create lovely things by recycling your old stuff. If you run out of ideas, you can look for some DIY ideas on the Internet — Pinterest is a partiularly good source. Here is a list of my favourite DIY websites:
A Pair of Helping Hands
It is said that the best things in life are free. Helping others is the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day for free. On the day of love, instead of spending some money on chocolate or flowers, you might want to rack up your good karma by offering a helping hand to people in need, or just showing them a smile to brighten up their day. You can always start from those around you: your siblings, your classmates, the cleaners in school or a stranger you meet on your way home.