10 GREAT WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU (ON THE CHEAP)

By Kylie Mitchell

The festive season is over and no doubt the bank accounts are low, but wouldn’t you know it, another celebration is on the way. Valentines Day is just around the corner but who says Valentines Day has to be expensive? After all, it is not about how much you can spend on your partner (although we all have our expensive desires) but how much you love them. So why not think outside of the box this year and skip the trip to the stores. Last year I wrote the singles guide to surviving Valentines Day, this time I thought I might tackle the couples side. So I thought I would jump the gun this issue and give you some inexpensive ideas to spoil your loved one.

Why not write a poem, or if you’re not great at the old rhyme, then find a book by your favourite poet and print out a favourite verse. Perhaps if you are musically talented you could add a bit of a tune as well.

Go for a walk in the afternoon and gather flowers from the neighbours front yards to present a hand picked bunch of flowers.

Have a picnic. Cook up dinner at home, and set up the blanket in your favorite room in the house. That way later you can’t get arrested for public indecency.

If you happen to have a nice slab of concrete around the house, buy some chalk and go nuts with the messages of love. And with the current water restrictions it will last until the next rain storm.
Draw a nice hot bath with bubbles, a few candles and put on your favorite CD. Relax and soak away an hour with your partner.

Make your own valentines card. Nothing says I love you like a hand made item, after all, parents love it when the kids come home from Kindy with hand made crafts.

Make a voucher for one massage and place it in with their lunch ( if they take lunch to work) Then when the day is over, and the voucher is presented take the time to make them feel special, with a massage of any variety you choose.

Hire your favourite movie, turn the lights down low and cuddle up on the couch with a nice glass of wine.
If your partner is a book lover, head down to your local book store, preferably one with a coffee shop and enjoy some time together browsing through the shelves, finishing up with a coffee and cookie.

Or lastly, why not do something a bit crazy. Buy 12 red balloons, cut out 12 hearts from paper around the house, on each piece of paper write one reason why you love your partner on it. Now place them in the balloons, blow them up and hand them to your partner as a bouquet. The best part is you get to burst the balloons to find out what’s inside. Maybe you can even come up with some creative ways to burst the balloons.

Happy Valentines Day everyone. Remember it doesn’t have to be expensive to say I love you.