With a little creativity, you can celebrate February 14th with a memorable dinner you'll sure to remember for years to come. It's easy to keep the cost down and you can still have a great time. Here's how.
Champagne Brunch
If you feel as if you can't go to your favorite restaurant this year because it's simply too expensive, opt for a less costly brunch instead. Brunch is a romantic alternative to a heavy dinner. Make a reservation at your favorite restaurant content in the knowledge that having brunch there won't break the bank. Be sure to toast your relationship with champagne!
Home Cooked Meal
Share the cooking duties with a homemade dinner. There's something very sweet about planning, preparing, and cooking dinner while working side-by-side. Put on some music and set a table complete with cloth napkins and candles.
Picnic Lunch
Rather than a restaurant dinner, pack some sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and sparkling apple cider. Then head to your nearest park. Lay out a big blanket and enjoy the beauty of nature while you dine. If you're in a colder area of the country, opt for a carpet picnic instead!
Casual Lunch
Lunch can be just as romantic as dinner, and far less costly. You can still go to a nice restaurant, or if you prefer, a good old-fashioned pub. Find a place that has meaning to you and ask for a cozy booth in the back. Even with a few drinks, the tab for lunch will be far less expensive than for dinner.
Appetizer Meal
Rather than a heavy dinner, make several smaller appetizers instead. Be creative to keep the cost down. Instead of spending a lot on a cheese platter, for example, purchase a block and cut it up yourself. Make a couple appetizers from scratch. Even if you use expensive ingredients, you'll be making a very small amount and spending less money.
Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Dinner
Ever made a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? How about peanut butter, apple, honey, and bacon? Or grilled peanut butter and jelly? Then again, there's Elvis Presley's favorite: peanut butter and banana. Make a few peanut butter sandwiches and cut them up in quarters. Then serve as a creative peanut butter extravaganza. (Don't forget the milk.)
Kids Meal
Who says a romantic Valentine's Day celebration needs to be at an expensive restaurant? How about spending a day at the arcade or park instead? Hang out and tell each other your favorite childhood memories. Then stop by your local fast food joint for a kids meal. Keep the prize you get for a memento from your day.
Singles work hard to make Valentine's Day special, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Use one of these cheap meal ideas to create a fabulous dinner for you and your partner. It's the time you spend together, not the cost of the meal or gifts, that will really make your day memorable.
Cherie Burbach - Cherie Burbach writes about dating, relationships, health, sports, and lifestyle. She's the author of eleven books and ebooks.
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