Valentine's Day - Romance CAN Be Cheap!

Every year in February the average person is inundated with advertising pertaining to Valentine's Day and how to Make That Special Person Happy - usually involving expensive jewelery or some other money-devouring method. But you can make Valentine's Day a special occasion and keep your wallet from becoming empty with these great tips!

Who doesn't like to have their dinner prepared and delivered to their table without any muss or fuss? But eating out can be expensive as well as a major effort if you've waited too long to make that phone call to get reservations. And let's not even get into the problems of finding parking at your favorite restaurant on Valentine's Day as well as any other holiday in the year! But why not take the situation into your own hands and produce a heartfelt and edible dinner at your own private restaurant?

The first mistake many budding chefs make is to attempt something difficult for their first major meal. And when you're trying to impress the love of your life you don't need to be racing back and forth from kitchen to living room trying to remember what temperature you need to have the oven at and losing fingers to angry knife cuts. Consider something simple but filling, such as a pasta dish. Lasagna can be prepared beforehand and popped into the oven easily, allowing you to spend more time with your Valentine's Day Love and less with the kitchen utensils. Spaghetti is always a sure bet as well as purchasing frozen tortellini or other types of pasta from your local grocery store. All you need to do is follow the instructions and you'll have an Italian-type meal on the table in no time!

Take advantage of the frozen food section to get some breadsticks or biscuits that can be delivered to the table warm and ready for a dollop of butter to save even more time. And you can even get pre-washed and bagged salad to make your dinner a success despite your skills in the kitchen. Remember, it's not about the food - it's about spending some quality time with your Valentine!

Decorating your apartment or house doesn't have to be a major task as well as wiping out your savings. A few well-placed red candles can set the mood easily and quickly, purchased from your local discount store at a fraction of the cost of fancy scented candles at most major retailers. Just remember to put them out later on!

Flowers are always the mainstay of any Valentine's Day display and your home shouldn't be any exception. But instead of racing to the florist to pick up a dozen red roses at an inflated price, why not consider a different arrangement and show your creativity?

For example, a blue violet signified faithfulness - a definite plus for any relationship! A red tulip is a declaration of love, an easy way to break the ice with that person you've adored from afar! And a yellow iris signifies passion - just the right flower for Valentine's Day! Most of these flowers will be available at your local florist and usually at a lower price than the red roses that are so popular and so much in demand for Valentine's Day. Won't your special person be surprised to receive something a little bit different than what everyone else is getting?

And don't forget the mood music - depending on what sort of music you and your Valentine's Day love appreciate you can create your own special CD ahead of time and set the tone for the entire evening, free from interruption by radio commercials. Even if you're both not into dancing it sets the mood for a quiet romantic evening to have something soft and gentle playing in the background.

But what if you're both more into movies and visual media? Well, why not head on over to your local video rental outlet and grab a few of your favorite movies for the night! They don't even have to be typical romantic movies, just something that you and your Valentine's Day love can sit and watch and enjoy. Imagine the two of you can curl up on the couch and enjoy a quiet night at the movies without dealing with the crowds and the noise of going to a major movie theater. And you can even bring your own popcorn!

Sure, you could spend hundreds of dollars getting a special dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant and get all dressed up - then force your way through the crowds to get dinner and then race on home, but why? Consider showing the love of your life how special he or she is to you by having a quiet evening at home? With a special dinner, romantic music and a good movie you can show your love and true feelings without breaking your budget. And who knows, that money you save just might pay for the engagement ring!