Congratulations on making it through midterms everyone! Not sure if you all feel this way, but to me it feels like this quarter has dragged on forever. Winter quarter seems to be without end and with no snow and only cold, it makes it feel even longer. Well, I am here once again to give you some encouragement and help you stay strong until the end of the quarter. Here is the encouragement: “YOU ARE GOING TO BE AMAZING!”

I also want to talk to you about how to have a budget friendly Valentine’s Day. Yes, I know this paper is going out the day after Valentine’s Day but since I will be celebrating it this weekend I figured that I would write about it now. Originally, my boyfriend and I were going to get the tattoos that we wanted (and no, they weren’t going to be matching or each other’s names. That is always a bad idea). But now, we are a little strapped for cash so we had to change our plans.

When people usually make plans for Valentine’s Day, they involve going out to eat at one restaurant or another and spending a bunch of money on candy and presents. But it doesn’t need to be like that. Personally, I think that if you are in a relationship then you should be celebrating your significant other everyday and not just going all out one day a year. That means that you should take the time to treat that special person in your life every day, whether it is with flowers or a simple, heartfelt compliment.

Anyways, I digress. Step one in having a budget friendly Valentine’s Day (or just a date night) is to keep it simple. Rose petals lining the hallways are nice and romantic but just coming home to a clean house is nice too. If you want to get romantic without breaking the bank, why not get a bouquet of flowers, light some candles and put on some romantic music? That will set the mood without requiring you to buy expensive roses or worry about cleaning up loose petals.

Now, for food. There is a certain romance that comes from cooking a meal together and then sharing it. There’s no need to get fancy either; whip up some spaghetti, garlic bread and salad and BOOM romantic dinner for two. Also, don’t forget dessert! Why not try chocolate covered strawberries or even some Do-It-Yourself ice cream sundaes? If cooking isn’t your thing then you could always go with the route of ordering some takeout. It’s simple, easy and means that you don’t have any dishes to clean later that night.

Finally, what to do for fun. While one answer is obvious (and I won’t go into details on what that is, you are all adults and can probably figure it out), there are other options. Why not pick a movie to watch? Instead of spending an hour deciding, go the Netflix-roulette route and pick a completely random movie.

The movie might end up being terrible, but you will have a good time laughing together over how bad the movie is. Since my boyfriend and I are pretty big nerds, we plan on building a blanket fort and reading our favorite books (again, cheap and easy fun). If you really want to do the first option (and you two are both willing), try adding something new into the mix. Toys may not be for everyone but they can certainly make things more interesting. The same goes with games. There are plenty of dice rolling foreplay games out there for you to try. And don’t discount some sexy lingerie.

Date nights don’t always mean spending a hundred dollars on a night out. You can have fun without breaking the bank. Take the night to really get to know your partner. Write them a love note instead of buying that life-size teddy bear. Love is a pretty cool thing when it’s not being destroyed by commercialism. Even though I hate Valentine’s Day, I love being able to spend some time with my better half (just kidding, I am the better half) since we don’t see each other often. Have a great Valentine’s Day everyone and for those who are single, you do you and party on with some good friends.