Looking for some cheap and easy Valentine's Day ideas?

We created a guide to help you plan the best cheap, easy and special valentines day this year.

Valentine’s Day can cost a fortune. If you are not careful and strategic with your planning, it can be here and gone along with half your paycheck. So how can you prevent going broke this Valentine’s Day and still make your partner feel special? Easy. Just use these five ingredients; card, gift, wine, dinner, and dessert. This Valentine’s Day my husband and I are going to show you how a special Valentine’s Day can be done on a budget. For this illustration, we are using Kroger as an example but this can be done anywhere. Keep in mind that the right person does not require material things to feel loved. Someone who truly loves and cares about you should be understanding and supportive of your financial situation.

A short and sweet note from the heart

Don’t over-complicate the card buying process or overspend. A good method of selecting a card is to find a well-designed card that reminds you of her and is either blank inside or says very little. Women love it when you write something from the heart because this makes them feel loved and special. Need help writing the perfect message? Not good with words? Just follow this basic formula.

Tell her how thankful you are to be with someone so (insert favorite personality trait)
Let her know how much you love(insert favorite physical trait)
Close with how much you enjoy spending time with her

If you are looking for a cheaper yet nice card this card is just an example of one my husband might have chosen.

They even have a good selection of .99 cards at Kroger and the best part is they do not show a price on the back of most of them. With a heartfelt message written inside, I believe these cards are worth just as much to most women. What you do not need is something like this pop-up card below. Although the card is beautiful, it is priced at a ridiculous $12.99 which can be better spent elsewhere.

A small thoughtful surprise

Select some small inexpensive but thoughtful gifts for her. Kroger has a rather large selection throughout the store of Valentine’s gift items and candy. They also have a great floral department with some budget-friendly bouquets and single flower selections. When we stopped to talk with them in the floral department they advised us that they have a single rose available for under $5 complete with baby’s breath. They also have bouquets ranging from $4 up to $30 or $35. Depending on the amount you want to spend and the type of flowers you chose, you can find a great bouquet for a really good deal. They did advise that you can call ahead and even suggest that you do, prior to Valentine’s Day so it can be ready for you when you arrive. They also mentioned that prices go up a week prior to Valentine’s Day on their flowers. If the bouquet you are looking for is out of stock they also mentioned most Kroger’s restock their floral department every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

A simple rose

If you choose to purchase chocolates they have a great variety of these on sale before Valentine’s Day.Make sure you find out if she likes chocolate because contrary to popularopinion not all women do. Also remember there is a huge difference between Milkchocolate, Dark chocolate, and white chocolate and not women like them all.

Here are a few of the greatValentine’s Day chocolate gifts we found while browsing today.

Dove chocolate is a personal favorite of mine and I know a lot of other women who love these chocolates too.

Lindt Lindor chocolate is another favorite budget-friendly yet delicious chocolate for gift giving.

Make sure to have your card and gift ready in advance! This is not something you want to leave to the last minute. Trust me.If you are running a little behind making dinner, this will give her a chance to enjoy her card and gift while buying you a few extra minutes.

To wine or not to wine

If you know her favorite wine you can select a budget-friendly version that wine. If you do not know her favorite type of wine I highly suggest asking her before you purchase. From my personal experience, I have found most women are particularly selective of the wine they enjoy. A favorite I have found among many women that I know is Moscato. A good budget-friendly Moscato can be found at Kroger. A slightly more pricey wine was actually on sale when we went for $6.99 instead of $12.99 so watch for sales like this Naked Grape Moscato.

Port wine is a sweet dessert wine with a strong distinct flavor. This pairs well with dessert and would be a great finish after a savory steak dinner. This is also a heart healthy wine because it is a red wine and we have found it easily at Kroger. A budget friendly Port that we enjoy is Taylor Port which has a great everyday low price at Kroger.

An easy inexpensive Valentine’s Day dinner

We found a great sirloin steak for a good price that is big enough for two. Sirloin is a flavorful fairly lean cut of steak that is much less expensive than a filet. Keep an eye out for manager specials which could make it cheaper. Now choose an easy to prepare fresh vegetable like green beans or asparagus. Remember you do not have to buy large portions you are only cooking for two. Next find some small red or fingerling potatoes, often these are available in a small bag. This should make a delicious yet surprisingly healthy meal.

A dessert that tastes handmade

Private Selection has an awesome triple berry tart which we highly recommend. My husband and I love the taste and quality and think you will also.Again, find out what she likes (or hates) and purchase accordingly. Kroger has many options that would work for this and it’s important to finish well. You wouldn’t want to ruin your hard work with a trip to the ER because she is allergic to the dessert you fed her.

Time to put it all together

Making a beautiful Valentine’s Day experience requires a little time and thought. This means that you will need to prepare in advance by purchasing the items, getting the right supplies to cook and serve, and managing your time. Don’t worry, you can do this, and we will guide you. Preparing the actual meal should take approximately 20 – 30 minutes, not including warming the dessert.

What you need to purchase or make sure you have on hand

·Steak

·A few red potatoes

·Vegetable of your choice

·Olive oil

·Salt and pepper

·Steak seasoning

·Steak sauce if desired

·Wine

·Dessert

What you need at home for dinner preparation and presentation

·A non-stick skillet (Don’t own one? Ask a friend or family member or you can even use a grill)

·Baking sheet

·Spatula or turner

·Service for two (plates, bowls, silverware (including steak knives) wine glasses and water glasses or goblets

·Ziploc style bags

·Napkins

·Foil

Prepare the vegetable

We are using asparagus. Wash and slice off hard bottoms and throw these away. Add 1 TBSP olive oil, salt pepper, and seasoning to taste to a Ziploc bag and place asparagus in bag. Shake up vegetables in the bag. Leave in the bag for now. We will be placing on baking sheet with the potatoes to bake after the potatoes have cooked approximately 12minutes. The asparagus only takes 8 – 10 minutes to roast in the oven. You could bake this on a separate baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes by themselves if you prefer. Bake on the same 375 degrees just like the potatoes. A good way to tell if your asparagus is tender is to taste a piece. If it has softened to your liking it should be ready.

Prepare the potatoes

Wash and halve or quarter depending on the size of the potatoes. Don’t cut them too thick about a half-inch is desired. Line a baking sheet with foil to place the potatoes on. You will need 1 -2 TBSP olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper as desired. Add the potatoes to a dish or Ziploc bag. Toss the potatoes to coat with olive oil and seasoning. I suggest adding a small amount of the steak seasoning to add some extra flavor. Top rack baking at 375 degrees for 20 – 22 minutes. If you are going to only use one baking sheet, remember to pull this out after 12 minutes and place your vegetable on the pan to finish baking another 10 minutes.

Prepare the steak

Make sure to set out your steak about 20 minutes in advance. This will allow it to get to room temperature slowly which enhances the flavor. While your potatoes are roasting we will start preparing our steak. Since we purchased one larger sirloin steak we are cutting that in half to make steak for each of us. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper and steak seasoning if desired. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. For medium- Cook steak 3 – 4 minutes per side. For a steak cooked well done you will cook 4 – 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a foil-lined cutting board and turn off the heat. Close foil around steak to keep warm and let rest for 5minutes to help retain all that flavor.

Prepare dessert

If you chose the same dessert that we suggested, make sure to leave oven on and preheat to 350. You may only need one sheet pan. Just throw away the old foil from the potatoes and vegetables. Line the sheet pan with new foil for the dessert. Prepare as the packaging suggests and serve warm if possible. Try to time this appropriately so it ready once she has completed her meal.

Set the table and enjoy a lovely Valentine’s Day meal at home. With a bit of effort you should have a wonderful evening together. If you purchased the .99 card, the Dove chocolates, the single rose, the port wine, the meal, and dessert that we suggested this should cost around $50. Also, you have shown her that she is worth your time and nothing is more valuable than time.

CHEAP AND EASY VALENTINES DINNER - A GUYS GUIDE