50 Ways to Say I Love You... For (Almost) Free

Who says Valentine's Day has to be an expensive ordeal to show your partner how much you love them? The best gifts are often those that show you put thought and effort into them, the price tag doesn't indicate the value of the gift. Instead of going the typical Valentine's Day path of flowers, chocolate and dinner at the restaurant – try some of the following 50 ways to say I love you... for free (these ideas work year round, but are especially relevant around Valentine's Day!)

1. Plan and make your partner's favorite meal at home. Instead of waiting for a table at an overcrowded, less-than-intimate restaurant, set the table with your good china, and plan out a menu complete with an appetizer, first course, main dish and dessert. Don't forget to light some candles and put on some romantic music in the background.

2. Go for a scenic drive. If you have “special spots” where important moments have happened in your relationship, go to each place and talk about the memories.

3. Write a love letter. How long has it been since you wrote a love letter to your special someone? Take the time to tell him or her the reasons you care in a handwritten letter that is sure to be treasured for all time.

4. Create a coupon book. Sure, it might seem a little cheesy to sit with construction paper and markers to make up a coupon book, but it's so much fun for the recipient to “cash-in” on the coupons! You can make them for whatever you think he or she will enjoy, from routine daily chores to intimate moments – just have fun with it!

5. If you and your partner live together (or you have access to their home!) consider taking a day off from work and sneaking in to clean up and decorate for the evening's festivities! Once everything is in it's place, give the furniture a quick dust, vacuum and wash floors, put some potpourri into boiling water to spread the scent, and set up for a picnic (on the bed or living room floor). When your partner comes home, surprise them with a basket full of snacks or dinner, and enjoy relaxed, quiet time together.

6. Make chocolate covered fruit.

7. Make a music CD of all your partner's favorite songs, or songs that have meant something to you as a couple. Remember making mixed-tapes as teenagers? Use your computer to put together a compilation CD.

8. Put together a video slide show of photographs and/or short video clips of you and your partner's relationship together. You can use Windows Movie Maker (free on most PCs) and add captions and fun effects to liven it up and add personality. Burn it to DVD and watch it together.

9. Forget the store bought cards! (Sorry Hallmark!) Get out some construction paper, scissors, stickers and crayons and markers and go to town making a pretty handmade card. It will mean far more than the store bought variety, and you might surprise yourself and enjoy doing it.

10. Take a moonlit walk. Much of the country is still quite cold in February, so be sure to bundle up and dress appropriately for the weather. There's something about strolling together under the stars in the moonlight that is extremely romantic and relaxing. Take a step back from the fast-paced world and reconnect through conversation.

11. Keep an eye on the newspaper, local events channel on your television, and/or the bulletin boards around town. If there are free events at museums or other establishments – take advantage of them and enjoy one another's company doing something new.

12. If you and your partner typically stay home all the time, you can go out on the town for a change of scenery and not spend a ton of money. Go to a local coffee shop and enjoy a hot beverage of your choice and share a dessert. Don't rush through it like you would on a normal day – linger at the table with your beverage and snack and talk about the past, the present and the future of your relationship.

13. Try your hand at writing a poem. Even if you don't consider yourself a writer, you can put some thoughts down on paper (rhyming or not) in poem form, and give to your partner who is sure to love it.

14. Take a photograph of yourself (mild or wild, the choice is yours!!) and put it in a frame for your partner to place on their bedside table.

15. Do you have a rewards credit card? Find out if you have any rewards to redeem! You can use the points for dinner out or for a hotel room, depending on the rewards program. Many people have rewards credit cards and forget all about the rewards they've earned.

16. Draw your partner a bath (or perhaps make a bath for two?) Add great smelling bubbles, and put on some soft music. Even if you aren't sharing the tub together, stick around and chat, wash your partner's back, give a massage.

17. Sprinkle the floor from the front door to the bedroom with rose petals. Add some rose petals to the bed itself! If this is a little too bold for the stage your relationship is currently in, you can use rose petals to decorate the table cloth or float them in a dish with a floating candle.

18. Create a handmade scrapbook of your relationship. Add photographs, love notes from the past (or current, if you still write them!), add a love poem or new letter.

19. Surprise your electronic-gadget loving partner with a new folder of songs on their iPod or MP3 player. Make it songs they love or recognize from different events in your relationship.

20. Give a lengthy massage with no expectations for something in return.

21. If you can, re-create your first date.

22. If you and your partner have children, ask your parents or trade babysitting time with another couple with children so each couple gets a kid-free evening to enjoy time without any interruption or child responsibilities.

23. Play board games by candle light for a twist. Anything you do can be romantic if you turn down the lights and light some candles! Try strip poker for some spice!

24. Make heart shaped cookies or cake together from scratch (it takes longer that way!) You can color vanilla frosting with red food coloring. Then enjoy them with some milk.

25. Enlist a friend into giving your partner a singing telegram (for free, as a favor!) They can deliver your handmade card or some balloons and sing a love song to him or her for you.



26. When you take a shower and steam up the mirror, write them a little message in the steam. The next time your partner goes in for a shower and steams up the bathroom, they'll be able to read the message. You could also sneak in while your partner is showering to leave a steamy message in the mirror for them to read when they step out.

27. Create a crossword puzzle for your partner, where the clues are all about events and memories involving your relationship together.

28. Go to wherever your partner is during the day (working, the gym, etc) and put a surprise for them in their car. Balloons, love notes, a cd in the player ready to go.

29. Leave a lipstick message in the mirror or shower wall.

30. Take a “sick” or personal day from work and enjoy an entire bonus day and night together.

31. Videotape a special Valentine message for your partner. If you have children, get them involved. It will make a great keepsake!

32. Get out your plastic Easter eggs, or just regular envelopes, and hide little love messages and/or heart candy for your partner to scavenger hunt. This can be a fun family Valentine activity if you have children.

33. Buy an inexpensive bag of tea light candles (or find the bag you already have!) and line every surface in the kitchen or bedroom with lit tea lights for setting the mood.

34. If it's cold and there is snow on the ground, make a solution of water and red food coloring to paint love notes in the snow for your partner. Don't forget to preserve it with a camera, it won't last long.

35. Make your partner breakfast in bed, complete with heart shaped pancakes. If there is no time for breakfast in bed, deliver dinner (and perhaps more) in bed.

36. Get out the romantic comedies from your movie collection and/or borrow from friends for an evening snuggled up on the couch watching movies together.

37. Create a MySpace or Facebook page dedicated to your partner, and share it with them. Keep it focused on everything you love about your partner, add a special song and photographs of the two of you together.

38. Plant a tree in a pot indoors, and transplant it outside during the spring months. Call the tree your “love tree”!

39. Take turns telling your partner what you love about him or her. Do this combined with some of the other items on this list (candle light, dinner at home, a moonlit walk).

40. Make a list of everything you want to do and experience together with your partner. It can be physical activities, events, places to visit, romantic ideas, etc. Anything you want to share with your partner can go on the list. Half the fun is in daydreaming and coming up with the list.

41. Make your own “Love Game”. You can make it ahead of time and then play with your partner as a surprise, or enlist help from your partner in creating the game (half the fun!) and then play it together.

42. Go to the bookstore or library for an inexpensive but fun date night. You can browse the books, play scavenger hunt activities (who can find the answer to a question first?), read from joke books to one another and see who can make the other person laugh outloud, etc. Get creative! Some bookstores have live performers and a coffee shop, too.

43. Decorate your living room with streamers, turn down the lights and pull the shades. Put on some music, and get dressed up in your fancy “going-out” clothes, and enjoy an evening at home. Dance to the music like you're at a school dance together!

44. Adult Twister. You remember the Twister game, right? You probably even have one on a garage or basement shelf. Blow the dust off and get ready for some fun! If you're childless or the kids are in bed or out for the night, you can arrange for a more adult version of Twister – each time you fall you have to remove an article of clothing. You can bet your game will eventually end in a fairly seductive manner!

45. Have some fun with rocks! You can run outside and gather some rocks and use permanent marker or paint to create a sentence for your partner, writing one word on each rock. Make it fun to find by giving your partner the first rock and a clue to find the second word of the sentence, and so on.

46. Gather up loose change from the car, couch cushions, and all the little spots in the house where you tend to drop in your loose change. Take a trip to the arcade with the change and challenge one another to a few games. An evening out doesn't have to dip into your budget, it's more about the time you spend together than what you actually do!

47. Use Google Earth. Download the free version and start putting place markers in the locations that you shared with your partner. Then mark places that you have dreamed of going together. It may take a few hours, but it will be well worth it. Go on a “virtual” tour with your partner, sitting together at the computer and experiencing all of the locations together and talk about the days when you will visit each of the places.

48. In an empty wine bottle or champagne bottle, make a collage using decorative papers or photos over the original label. Write a note or paste inspirational quotes, poems, and messages about why you love your partner onto a large piece of paper, roll it up and tie with a string. Slide the message into the bottle and give to your partner.

49. Buy a package of party balloons and write love messages or activities you and your partner can share with one another (at home, for free... things like “kiss me”...) on small scraps of paper. Put one message into each balloon and blow them up. Your partner can have a blast popping the balloons and 'redeeming' the activity or reading the love message.

50. Borrow a book from the library or a favorite from your own collection. Spend an evening taking turns reading aloud to your partner. Pick a book with a love story, preferably, or one that will spark interesting conversation and discussion. Most of us are so busy with our day to day activities we forget that simple things like reading to each other can help you reconnect and remember why you love your partner!

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