Thrifty Thursday - Frugal Valentine's Ideas

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about frugal Valentine's Day ideas. Everywhere you turn, you're being pushed to a commercial Valentine's Day and told you "have to" purchase expensive jewelry, flowers, and chocolate, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you simply must have something pricey, be sure to shop around first for deals.

For breakfast, consider making heart shaped toast or pancakes - which is always a hit with kids, too. If you're in a hurry for time, make the pancakes ahead of time and re-warm them in the microwave. To get the heart shape, use a large heart shaped cookie cutter. If you don't mind food coloring in your foods, you can easily add a drop or two of red coloring to the batter before making them. Kids love having a heart shaped sandwich, so consider that for lunch.

A handmade Valentine's day card is simple to make, and can be a complete hit, even if it's just a folded piece of paper with a heartfelt message inside. If you need ideas on what to write, hit up the internet for lots of romantic poems and sayings.

For a whimsical romantic idea, pick up a box of the little conversation hearts, and stash them all over the house. (Make sure you remember where, so you don't end up with critters having a feast down the road!) An "I love you" placed in a briefcase or lunch, a "hug me" placed on the dinner plate, and a "Kiss Me" on the pillow can lead to a very romantic day, at a cheap price. ;)

The dollar store is your friend when it comes to inexpensive candles. Purchase a few of these, pull out a pretty cloth tablecloth you rarely use, break out the fancy china you rarely use, and any meal at home feels like a 5 star restaurant. If you're pressed for time, you can easily pick up food from your grocery deli, or create a quick masterpiece at home. There are plenty of recipes found online, from beginner to advanced. If you're eating with children, consider making a heart shaped pizza together and letting the kids top it as they wish, using red ingredients like red peppers, pepperoni, and tomatoes.

Shhh... don't tell DH, I picked up a few bottles of sparkling juices on clearance from New Years for us, and I ordered some nice grass fed steaks from our local butcher - a little more pricey, but cheaper than going out. I also put aside some nice dark chocolate bars for dessert that we can share together. We'll have dinner after the kiddo is in bed. ;)