Tips for Celebrating Valentines Day on a Tight Budget

Given the current economic crisis, a holiday like Valentines Day may pose a financial strain on some people. Huge pressure exists to buy expensive gifts, eat out at a restaurant or, at a minimum, give gifts of candy and cards, all of which involve spending money.

To alleviate the financial strain of Valentine's Day without missing out on its romance, people on a budget can try these five tips for celebrating the day of love in a "non-commercial but meaningful" manner. You might actually discover that by doing so you enhance the romance you experience on the holiday this year.

1. Find some paper and a special pen, and write a love poem or a letter that really says how you feel about your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or partner. Put this on his or her pillow to find and read before getting into bed, on the bathroom mirror to come across in the morning or on a plate to read before dinner. You can even hide a love note in a briefcase or in a suitcase to find during the day. You can also write a poem or letter on the computer, print it on beautiful paper, and roll it up and tie it with a ribbon.

2. Try having a Valentine's Day meal at home. If you don't have time to cook, purchase inexpensive takeout, like pizza or some Chinese, but create a special atmosphere for the dinner itself. Put on soft music, light candles. Set the table with a white table cloth and your best dishes. Put rose petals around the room or on the table. And don't be in a hurry. You might plan a romantic DVD for afterwards or, better yet, just listen to some quiet music, sit on the couch and talk.

3. Instead of giving your significant other chocolates or gifts or even a special dessert, give a huge serving of gratitude and appreciation. Take time to shower the other person verbally with all the wonderful things you love about him or her. Express your gratitude for his or her special traits or characteristics. Describe the behaviors that you really love or appreciate. Or, if you feel uncomfortable saying these things aloud, make a list of them and present them in a beautiful box wrapped up like a gift. That might be the best gift you could ever give.

4. If you are looking for romance, create a romantic space. It's easy, especially after the initial romance of a relationship has faded, to forget how nice it is to be wooed. Go to the trouble of lighting candles, playing soft music, making sure the kids are in bed and asleep or using aromatherapy oils or fragrant flowers to scent the room. Even if your relationship is new or still in the exciting romantic stage, this effort will go a long way toward making your significant other feel special, appreciated and desired.

5. If you really want to give your significant other a gift, make something rather than buying it. Go to a bead shop and create a necklace or bracelet. Visit a ceramics shop and create a painted mug or platter. Or give your special someone an experience - take them somewhere special like for a walk in the redwoods or along the beach, for a drive along the coast, for a picnic, on a 50-mile bike ride, to the pound to pick out a kitty - whatever you think they'd like or that the two of you would enjoy doing together and that feels like a special way to spend the day. A gift can be anything at all that feels special to the other person - time, attention, a thing, a place...you decide.