Valentine's Day comes right after the gift-giving season, just about the time when people are beginning to recover from their holiday spending sprees over Christmas and New Year.
With all the stores now going into overdrive to cash in on the romantic spirit, it can be little bit difficult to resist the idea of grabbing a fancy box of chocolates, an overpriced bouquet or a sparkling piece of diamond jewellery. But in these recession-tinged times, it is important to remember that true love is not measured by the thickness of one's wallet.
The day of hearts is not about lavish gifts, expensive dinners or over-the-top celebrations. Any ardent couple knows there are ways to make your "amour" feel extra special without endangering your bank account. I've asked a couple of friends to share their budget-friendly Valentine's celebrations in the past in the hope of learning something from their experience.
A longtime cheapskate who keeps tab of every dirham spent, my friend Liza made her husband cry tears of joy when she made a romantic surprise for him last Valentine's Day. No, it didn't involve popping of red balloons, filling the floor with rose petals or cooking a gourmet dinner at home.
They were oceans apart—he in South Africa and she in Dubai, so it was a bit of a challenge to make the day memorable for both of them. Besides, she had just blown off a huge chunk of her salary on the husband's birthday gift in January and the house they're trying to build back home needed some additional funding.
"That was not really a good time for any lavish spending. My bank account was on the brink of bankruptcy. So I had to figure out something that would leave the budget untouched and my husband delighted at the same time," she recalls.
Luckily, Liza knows how to hit the notes right, so she decided to record herself singing a song they both like, which happened to be the theme song of their wedding. She capped her romantic rendition by reading a love letter. She then sent it directly to his mobile phone on the morning of February 14 and when he listened to the clip, he could not help but cry.
"The best thing was, my husband felt special and I didn't have to spend any money." Priceless.
Although they are also romantics at heart, Veathika and her husband Mehul Raina, chose to stray from the typical dinner date at a top-notch restaurant and signed up instead for a one-day course to learn the art of coffee making. Both avid caffeine fans, the pair thought that learning something new together was a fun way to bond.
What's also great about it was that the course, which cost Dh550 per person, already included lunch and all the course materials. And when the class was done, they each brought home the memory of a great time spent together and they took turns throughout the course of the year making coffee and serving each other with a breakfast in bed. You couldn't be more romantic than that. "Taking the course was better and budget-friendly as it could be utilised throughout the year. A gift or an expensive dinner is just a one-time thing. This proved to be an added tool for both of us, we learned how to make good coffee," she says.
I'm sure you have plenty of other ideas for a budget Valentine's Day that's sure to outdo anything lavish, expensive and extravagant. All it takes is a dose of creativity and imagination. After all, February 14 is all about love, not the money. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
This story first appeared in Gulf News on February 11, 2012
