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The Valentine’s Day Challenge
by Nancy Twigg
Does Valentine’s Day have to be expensive? Not at all. Let me tell you a
story of how my husband and I had one of the best Valentine’s Day
celebrations ever by limiting ourselves to spending $10 or less.
About ten years ago, my husband Michael and I both left good jobs to
begin a home-based business. Within a matter of weeks, we went from two
comfortable salaries to one sporadic stream of income from our fledgling
business. On the first Valentine’s Day after we became self-employed, we
both knew we shouldn’t spend much on our February 14th celebration. So
we agreed to try something different. We decided to set a $5 spending
limit per person for our Valentine’s Day gifts.
To a spendthrift, a $5 spending limit on Valentine’s Day would have been
like the kiss of death: "What can I possibly buy for only five dollars?"
For us, it became a game: "What kind of cool stuff we can come up for
with less than five bucks?" Both of us enjoyed the challenge of
searching out items that would fit the bill.
Michael is a woodworker, so for him it was easy. He used his time and
only a little money to make me a beautiful oval frame for a wall mirror
I already had. He used wood that was salvaged from discarded packing
crates, 25¢ paint from a yard sale, and plans he drew up on his
computer. The only thing he had to go out and buy was a dowel for
putting the frame together, which cost only 76¢ at the hardware store.
The end result was a beautiful mirror that hung proudly in our bedroom
for many years.
For Michael, I found a desk calendar that had a different quote about
love for each day. Because it was February, the calendar was on
clearance for $4. I also found a woodworking book at a library discard
sale for 50¢. In addition, I made him a homemade card and a plate of his
favorite cookies. When you add the cost of the cookie ingredients I
already had on hand, I actually went over my limit just a little but he
was delighted nonetheless. In fact, we both enjoyed our gifts and the
thrill of the hunt so much that we instituted the five-dollar rule for
other gift giving occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries that
year as well.
Are you and your loved one going through a tough time financially? Even
if you’re not, is the thought of saving money more attractive to you
than spending a small fortune on Valentine’s Day gifts? If so, I
encourage you to try something different this year. Take the Valentine’s
Day Challenge. Set a small spending limit—$5, $10 or whatever fits your
budget—and agree with your spouse to give gifts that are low in cost but
high in creativity.
Use any special talents you have to create a keepsake. Put your cooking
skills to work to whip up an inexpensive-yet-irresistible treat in the
kitchen. Shop the clearance racks to find some special something your
sweetie would enjoy. Visit the secondhand stores to find a gently-used
book by a favorite author or CD by a favorite artist. Use your budgeted
amount to buy a gift card to the ice cream shop, coffee shop or movie
rental store.
Think outside the proverbial box. Make it a game to see how you can use
your creativity to give your sweetheart the most Valentine’s Day fun for
the least amount of money.
About the author
Nancy Twigg is a speaker and author who loves inspiring others to live
more simply. Adapted from Nancy’s newly revised book,
Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and
Special Occasions
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