By: Brianna Pearson
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and it is time to start planning. Everyone always wants to go all out for their special someone, but we are all living on a college budget so here are some ways to make the day special without breaking the bank.
The first thing you’ll need to get is a bouquet of flowers, but there is no need to spend $50 on some roses when there are other options. The best place to go for beautiful flowers on a budget is Publix! They sell small bouquets for three for $12. These smaller bouquets include beautiful flowers like roses, carnations, baby’s breath and sometimes sunflowers. You can always get three individual bouquets, or you can go up to the florist in Publix and ask them to wrap the three together and make them look uniform; this is the perfect way to customize something and make it special.
Next you need to get a nice snack. One of the most common foods bought during this time is chocolate covered strawberries, but they can get expensive. Once again, the best place to get these is Publix. Located in the Publix bakery, each strawberry cost .99 cents. Usually, Publix offers a special box of chocolate covered strawberries in the shape of a heart during February; one dozen will cost you less than $15, and they taste amazing. Their strawberries are always fresh, and the chocolate is crispy and delicious.
You also can’t forget the candy on Valentine’s Day, and there are two good places to stop for that. If you aren’t looking for a ton of candy, just enough to share with one person or so, the best place to stop is the Dollar Tree. The closest Dollar Tree is located at the Grove near the Cobb Theatre. Each bag of candy is only one dollar, but they are smaller bags than other places offer. They do have all of the most loved name brands though like Hershey’s, Reese’s cups and SweeTarts. If you are in need of a larger quantity of candy, the best place to go is Walmart. A 24-ounce bag of Snickers, 3 Musketeers and Milky Way cost $6.98 which is a better deal.
A lot of people like to go out for dinner on Valentine’s Day as well, but that can get pricey. A cheaper and more sentimental option is to go out for a picnic; pack up a lunch or dinner and drive to a park, Tampa’s Riverwalk or even just a place on campus. That is a very special alternative to spending $60-$100 on dinner.
Dollar Tree has all of your Valentine’s Day needs including cards and decorations that won’t break the bank! @dollartree
If you are the type of person who likes to decorate, Dollar Tree is the place to go. It sounds shocking, and you probably think that it will look as cheap as it is, but the decorations this year are the best yet. They have really pretty wood signs that say, “Happy Valentine’s Day” or “I love you” and many more. They also have beautiful bags, and tissue papers for any gifts you may want to give to someone special.
Speaking of gifts, there is no need to go crazy and get many things that they will not be able to use all year. Yes, that giant teddy bear seems like the perfect present that they may love, but two months down the road it’ll be taking up too much space, and you’ll be out $50. Instead of buying that teddy bear, look for things that they may find useful later on. Don’t buy them a spatula or something weird like that, but maybe a nice mug with the first letter of their name on it. Get something for them that shows you listen; maybe someone stole their Yeti cup last year, and you remembered them telling you, so you replace it.
Valentine’s Day is a great holiday and a great time to show your special someone how much you care about them, but there is no need to break the bank. Honestly, just spend quality time with your person and you’ll have an amazing day.
