You don’t have to shell out a ton of money to give your girlfriend (or boyfriend, partner, general S.O.) a fun and romantic Valentine’s Day. We college kids are often on pretty tight budgets, and honestly, some of the best dates I’ve ever been on were also the cheapest. What matters most is the fun you guys have together and making your partner feel appreciated, and you can do that for little to no cost thanks to this nifty guide! Here’s a few ideas on how you can make your Valentine’s Day date a special one, even on a budget

1. Going to a Museum

This one is fun because you can tailor it to your date’s interests! Whether she’s into science, history, art, or even weird medical anomalies there are plenty of fun places to choose from, both locally or in the city. Most tickets cost around $20 as a set price for the day, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.

2. Cooking Dinner Together

This one is actually super fun, and if you keep it simple (think steak and veggies or a stir fry night) you can pick up ingredients for dirt cheap at places like Aldi, Giant, or Walmart. Pick a dish you both love, get a cheap bottle of wine to split, break out those candles you’ve had stuffed in your junk drawer forever and have a cozy, romantic night in.

3. Pet Store Date / Petting Zoo

For this one, you’ll have to check with the pet store or shelter in question and make sure it’s okay with them first, but a lot of places allow you to play with the animals. If your girl is an animal lover, nothing could be more fun than letting her loose in a room full of puppies.

4. Winter Fun

Most ice rinks charge less than $10 a person for tickets, and if you don’t want to do that, sledding or even just a day playing in the snow somewhere pretty and scenic is romantic af and super fun. Finish the day with hot chocolate at home and get cozy.

5. Laser Tag

This might just be a personal preference of mine, but laser tag is SO FUN. This is another date that usually costs less than $10 a person and if you go somewhere like Round 1, you can get bowling, arcade games, karaoke, and sometimes even drinks for a set fee, too (prices will vary depending on where you go and when, though).

If your girl is a bibliophile, make her day by taking her to a bookstore and letting her browse around with you. Most larger bookstores have cafes where you can treat yourselves to coffee and treats, and you can drop around $15 to $20 for a book if she finds something she really likes.

7. Sharing a Hobby

If you’re both into photography, take a day to drive somewhere scenic and take photos together. Love writing? Sites like Meetup have local poetry readings, writing workshops, and book discussion groups posted. If you’re both the artsy type? Lay down some tarps and paint together. Sports more your thing? See a cheap local game. Find something you both love doing (or even that she loves doing, just to show you care enough to try new things) and make a day of it.

8. Checking Out Local Music

This is admittedly easier to do in the summer, but a lot of places still hold concerts with local musicians during the winter season. You can even just check out the bars in town to see what places are hosting local talent and put together a musical bar crawl for the night to see a handful of free shows.

9. Treating Her to a Spa Day at Home

You don’t need a fortune and an extensive knowledge of beauty products to give your girl a fun night of pampering for Valentine’s Day. Target has face masks for as cheap as $2-$4, and this one is literally gold. Throw in some cheap bath bombs or bubble bath and some candles, a $6 bottle of wine and a quality back rub, and you’re good to go. Just be sure to make it look fancy and maybe bring some chocolate so there’s less of a Netflix-and-chill vibe.

10. To Really Bring It Home, Treat Her to Some Jewelry That *Looks* Expensive, But Doesn't Break the Bank.

A fun date is essential, but we can’t forget about gifts. Sure, chocolate and flowers will do, but if you want to get your girl something a little fancier, there’s no need to spend a ton. Buzzfeed has a whole shopping tag devoted to affordable but gorgeous jewelry and Amazon has stunning pieces at dirt cheap prices as well. If you buy online ahead of time, you can skip the outrageous store prices and still give your date a gift that shines almost as bright as she does.