Valentine’s Day is this weekend, so if you’re not prepared, it’s time to finalize those plans. But let’s be real – we’re high school students and most of us can’t afford lavish gifts for our significant other. If you can relate, here are the top 10 best gift and date ideas.

Date Ideas

• Movie Night

Going to the movie theater is a classic Valentine’s date, but going out in public isn’t the best idea during a pandemic. Watching movies on your favorite streaming service is the perfect way to spend the day. Netflix has cheesy original movies, Hulu has classics and Disney has the perfect nostalgic movies to binge on. Choose your faves, pop some popcorn and share a box of your favorite candy. 

• Order In

Do you really want to wait hours to get into your favorite restaurant on Valentine’s Day? Use your favorite delivery service to have a meal sent to your house. Or, order your meal for a curbside pick up. It’s best to stay indoors during the pandemic anyway, so ordering your food is the easiest way to go. Order early if possible, as there may be a lot of people with the same idea, so there could be longer delivery times. 

• Dessert Date

Dessert dates are always less expensive than going out for dinner. There are never long waits and usually the places are not as crowded. Braums, Baskin Robbins, frozen yogurt shops and bakeries are great places to go. Who wouldn’t want a red velvet cupcake for Valentine’s?

• Picnic- Indoors or Out

Picnics are a great way to be unique. Whether you decide to go to the park, picnic in the backyard, or have a carpet picnic indoors, add your own style and have fun packing your meal. You can bring everything you could possibly need to make your own sandwiches or create a buffet of your favorite foods. Pack a blanket, your favorite playlist and enjoy a relaxing date.

• Make a Valentine’s Meal

Of course, you don’t have to order all the food you eat on this special day. You can always spend the day baking or cooking a pizza together. Even if you aren’t the world’s best cook, figuring out as you go along could make for some hilarious Tik Tok worthy moments. Baking cookies, cakes, brownies, or making pizza are some easy, inexpensive ideas you could try.

Gift Ideas

• Create Your Own Card

Creating Valentine’s cards may sound so elementary school but actually it is a cute and personal gift. Life-sized cards, adding favorite pictures and decorating with stickers are great ways to make them meaningful. You could also write a poem or love letter. There are many opportunities to create and customize your own card to give, so make it as personalized as possible.

• Candy

A staple for Valentine’s Day every year, candy is always a pleaser and easy on the wallet. A good place to shop for candy is Five Below. Chocolate, gummies, licorice, hard candy… grab their favorite or make a huge gift bag with all of them! 

• Giftcards

If you’re not sure what to get, a gift card is always the way to go. Splurge on a $20 gift card for a store they like, Starbucks, or favorite restaurant. You could also give a gift card for a video game, Apple, or Ulta. 

• Bath Bombs

Available at almost every store, bath bombs are always much-appreciated gifts. They come as is, or even in boxes with other pampering items of the same scent or color. It’s a great way to spoil your loved one.

• Scented Candles

Scented candles are always a great gift if you’re wondering what to buy. You can pick up a few scented candles at a nearby store in their favorite scents or colors. Some stores like Bath and Body Works even have special Valentine’s Day candles.

Even if COVID is putting a damper on some of your go-to Valentine’s Day ideas, get creative! Make Valentine’s Day 2021 memorable with fun and a romantic date and gift ideas that fit your budget.