On A Budget? Cheap Valentines Day Ideas For 2012

For Valentine's Day, you want a gift that shows just how much you care. There is just one problem, you don't have the money to spend on a lavish expensive gift for your sweetie since you've been hit by the downturn of the economy. You'll be happy to know there are many cheap Valentines Day ideas that will make your honey and your wallet happy.

One inexpensive Valentine's Day idea could be a romantic getaway depending on the size of your budget and where you live. The Christmas rush is over and many places have off-season rates. If you can travel on a flexible schedule, Priceline.com might have the perfect trip at an affordable rate.

You can get inspiration for inexpensive and romantic gift ideas for Valentine's Day with a search online. Smartmarriages.com has a list of 50 Cheap Valentine's Day Gifts for Your Sweetheart (Without Looking Cheap). Depending on the weather, one suggestion is to have a picnic, either outside or indoors. Burn a CD of favorite songs - it shows you took the time to think about what your relationship means. Although restaurants might have dinner deals, breakfast in bed, lunch together, or a dinner you've prepared yourself can be loving, inexpensive alternatives.

There are smaller, inexpensive gift ideas for Valentines Day, too. You can present a "year in review" with a little planning, selecting your favorite pictures of the both of you and then buying picture frames from a dollar store. Or buy a number of smaller gifts from places like online stores and have "Fourteen Days of Valentines" instead of just one. Other ideas for cost-effectively showing your sweetie how much you care:

• Make chocolate or candy together instead of buying the over-priced box.
• Plan your garden together so you'll have beautiful flowers all year instead of just one day.
• Don't spend big money on a card someone else writes - make your own and say what you really feel.
• If you do go out for dinner, cut down on costs by having a drink or appetizers at home or, even better, plan a "very special" dessert.
• Start a charm bracelet or "charm box" where you buy one meaningful charm or item each year to highlight some significant event in your relationship.

Clearing your schedule so you can just talk and spend time together is perhaps the best gift of all. Once you start thinking about it, you'll see that you can find cheap Valentines Day ideas that can actually increase the value of your relationship.