| |
First of all, repeat after me: being single on Valentine’s Day rocks. Now, repeat it and believe it. All of your non-single friends are about to spend the next two weeks stressed out – did I get what he/she wanted? How will I ever afford a romantic date? But for you, there is no pressure. So, wake up on the big day, stretch your arms out wide and just love being your fabulously single self.
Then, get up and cook yourself breakfast in bed. Read a book or watch some of your favourite show. Pick your favourite place to spend the day – the beach, your bed, your couch, by the pool, Good Vibrations – and do it. Spend the money you would have spent on a gift for a boyfriend or girlfriend on yourself – buy yourself flowers, if you like flowers; chocolate, if you like chocolate. When it comes to date time, rent the movie you want to watch. If you’re a slasher film fan, even better, no boyfriend or girlfriend to tell you how un-romantic that is on Valentine’s Day – this year Valentine’s Day is your day and no one else’s!
For the new couples
You have just started dating and it’s incredible and exciting. You and your boyfriend or girlfriend could spend every waking minute together and not get sick of each other. You are the people Valentine’s Day was made for, people who are not sickened by cheesy over-the-top romantic gestures. So, why do you feel nothing but pressure in the lead-up to the big day? Well, because V Day can be a lot of pressure – pressure to have a perfect day, buy the perfect gift, plan the perfect date, not too mention the stress of having enough money to do it all.
If you really want to have the perfect day, take the pressure off. RELAX! Enjoy each other’s company, and rather than trying to spend more than you can possibly afford, challenge each other. Split the day in half and let one person plan surprises for one part and the other for the other part. Set a spending cap, for example, $50 and stick to it. See what fun you can have without spending a lot of money. There’s a ton of affordable dates so be creative – picnic on the beach, ride around the river, go on a photo treasure hunt around the city. After all, what you are doing for Valentine’s Day isn’t nearly as important as who you are spending it with.
For the old couples
You’ve been together ages, so much so your friends practically say your name as though you’re a single person (ie Davidandsarah). Together you’ve celebrated a few Valentine’s Days. So, what do you do this year to make it special? It’s quite simple actually: be thoughtful. Sit down and have a think about something your girlfriend or boyfriend absolutely loves but hasn’t had the time to do or buy. Those are the gifts that show you are still paying attention and they mean more than spending hundreds of dollars on a cliché. When it comes to the actual day, one of the most romantic gestures you can make is recreating a memorable date – it could be your first date, or a date to the place where you met. The key is to make one another feel special and to remember that just because you’ve been dating for a few years doesn’t mean you can’t have some romance.
Good luck and remember cupid isn’t as tough as he looks!
Megan Smith
January 29, 2010
|
|