{"id":2213,"date":"2016-02-12T12:07:44","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T17:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/?p=2213"},"modified":"2016-02-12T12:37:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T17:37:26","slug":"affordable-valentines-day-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/?p=2213","title":{"rendered":"Affordable Valentine’s Day hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Madison Wait<\/strong><\/p>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day is right around the corner. On Sunday, Feb. 14 the average person celebrating the holiday will spend about $142.31 on gifts, food and decorations, according to the National Retail Federation. For those already stretching their wallets, that number can seem overwhelming, especially for college students.<\/p>\n

To help ease the financial burden of the romantic holiday, here\u2019s a list of tried-and-true Valentine\u2019s Day ideas that won\u2019t break the bank.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Instead of reserving a table at a fancy restaurant, try being the chef.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most high-end restaurants are packed on Feb. 14, which can really put a dent in the evening of romance, as well as the wallet. Instead of waiting out the lines, or making a reservation to eat a three course meal, cook a classic dinner of spaghetti for two.<\/p>\n

If dinner isn\u2019t an option, whip up some quick heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, or bake a tray full of red velvet cupcakes with that special someone.<\/p>\n

Flying solo this Valentine\u2019s Day? Bring some friends into the kitchen and test their cooking skills. Online sites, like Allrecipes and Food Network, have a wide variety of Valentine-themed recipes that are easy to replicate.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, try going to less expensive restaurants. Places like Waffle House put out nice tablecloths and decorations for Valentine\u2019s Day. It\u2019s a great compromise of romantic setting and affordable food.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go Out On a \u201cLowbrow\u201d Date<\/strong><\/p>\n

Romantic candle-lit dinners are great, but they can also cost a pretty penny. This Valentine\u2019s Day, aim for a more casual approach to celebrating the people you love. Pick out something fun and low-key to do, with your significant other or group of friends. Go bowling at the Big E, go out roller-skating, or go dancing. Not only are these things fun, but they’re\u00a0also kind to your bank account.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stay-In<\/strong><\/p>\n

Avoid the stress of going out and have a stay-at-home night. Rent a movie to watch from the comfort of your couch. Pop some popcorn and munch on your favorite themed snacks with your Valentine. Binge watch a Netflix series. Eat pie in bed.<\/p>\n

You can even try celebrating Valentine\u2019s Day late. Go out the day after, and get the romance at a reduced price. Either way, both options help save money.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DIY Valentine\u2019s Day Crafts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Need a cute door dec for February, but don\u2019t have the money to buy one? Make it yourself! Cut out hearts from colored construction paper or foam, and decorate them. Try your hand at origami and make multiple different hearts, all without ever having to reach for the scissors. Or if you\u2019re feeling really crafty, make a Valentine\u2019s Day wreath with red mesh and pipe cleaners.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you have your own Valentine\u2019s Day ideas to share? \u00a0Contact us at\u00a0gwutodaystaff@gmail.com<\/a> and share them on social media with #GWUValentine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Madison Wait Valentine\u2019s Day is right around the corner. On Sunday, Feb. 14 the average person celebrating the holiday will spend about $142.31 on gifts, food and decorations, according to the National Retail Federation. […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[592,22,81,591,203,42,490,590],"class_list":["post-2213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-february-14","tag-gardner-webb-university","tag-gwu","tag-gwuvalentine","tag-madison-wait","tag-student-life","tag-tessa-walsh","tag-valentines-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwu-today.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}