Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, regardless if you love it or hate it there's no denying when you walk into your nearest drug stores and super center stores like Walmart there will be huge life size plush bears, and flowers on display. The restaurants have a "Special Menu" where they overcharge the price of food by two or three times the amount of what it is really worth. Being a "broke college kid" myself I understand wanting to put something together that is nice for the person you're dating but won't break your bank. Here are a few of my ideas.

1. Movie Date

My boyfriend loves Disney more than I do, putting all of our Disney VHS tapes and DVD collections together of Disney movies would call for hours of movies. Going to the show between concessions and tickets can cost from 20-30$. Having a movie date with movies you already have and buying popcorn from Walmart (3.68$) will save you 17-27$. Plus it's more comfortable cuddling at home in a blanket fort than it is in a movie theater, especially if you get the screaming child or snoring old man whose wife made him take her to the movies that can totally destroy your movie and date.

2. Canvas Painting Date

I have left over canvas's from Christmas when I decided to use my not so artistic ability and paint both of my parents canvas paintings as I was a "broke college kid' who couldn't afford to buy my parents an island off of Hawaii like they deserve. If you go to Michaels craft store they currently have a deal of 10 canvas paintings for 10$ which means you are spending only a dollar a piece in retrospect. Buying 10 would mean you and your Valentine would spend 5$ a piece. Going to the pottery place in my downtown area would be a 9$ flat rate for using the space and an additional 15-20$ on the selected item you wish to paint. You would save 10-15$ by going to the craft store and buying the materials to make a painting than you would going to a studio and making a canvas or pottery.

3. Dance Party Without a Club

When I was younger my sister would turn the disco ball on in her room, turn the Backstreet Boys CD up and have a dance party most of the time not inviting me. The times she did invite me I had more fun than being under the spinning disco ball of my sweaty middle school jumping up and down with my friends screaming the lyrics to songs I knew about a Barbie Girl living in a Barbie world. Pushing the furniture out of the way, turning the stereo system up and having a dance party to playlists you selected of your favorite music. Without having to pay the fee of what it takes to get into a club, and the smell of alcohol in the air.

4. Cooking and Netflix

One of the days my boyfriend and I wanted to eat dinner and watch a movie we knew we didn't have the money to go out. We went to the store bought the things needed for Hamburger Helper, made dinner at home while dancing to our favorite music and followed it by watching Forrest Gump after dinner. Although we have gone on many dates, my favorite so far is the dinner we made Hamburger Helper together. It allowed us to gain the perspective we don't have to go out and dress up to have fun together, we can do life together and sometimes that includes not having the money for nice things and getting cheap food to make but it was made special through us spending time together.

5. Game Night

This is another one of my favorite memories between my boyfriend and myself. We spent hours teaching one another card games and playing UNO. It was a fun night, and it was a free date. Getting your favorite games together can create a game night and allow you to learn about one another under competition.