Cheapskate Cupid: Valentine's Day on a Dime

Especially during this recession, it's important to remember that love is not only free, it can be a huge comfort and sigh of relief. When money is tight, we get cranky with each other, and finances can break (or at least seriously strain) relationships—be they among roommates, siblings, or spouses.

Whether or not you think Valentine's Day is just another Hallmark-created holiday, use this year's love fest as a reason to rekindle your relationships and reconnect with friends and family members. Here are our tips for creating a free or low-cost Valentine's Day and finding your inner Cheapskate Cupid:

Low-Cost Lingerie & Lounging
For couples, put the passion back into your relationship for pennies on the dollar with low-cost lingerie: Forever 21, H&M, Frederick's of Hollywood, TJ Maxx, and Macy's sales are all great places to find bargain picks. If racy bras make you blush, treat each other to a new set of cozy pajamas and cuddle up by the fire or the TV for a night in. Target often has big sales on flannel and cotton pajama sets this time of year, plus LL Bean and Victoria's Secret are always great places to find timeless and classy options that aren't too expensive. If you're feeling creative, use Spreadshirt or CafePress to make your own, using a pet name or an inside joke between you and your partner for inspiration. Then, for a few bucks more, cuddle up together and watch a recent romantic comedy through Netflix, or rent a classic Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, or Humphrey Bogart movie from your local library for free.

Off-Season Weekend Getaways
The beach isn't just for the summer! From New England to Northern California, many summertime hideaways are great places to find sweet deals from fall through spring. Take in the scenery and fresh air while getting away from it all, and play like a local for less. On Cape Cod, for instance, the Love Bus runs directly from Boston to Provincetown for $29 per person round trip—the same cost as Greyhound. Many Provincetown B&B's are offering low-cost stays and promotions, like stay two nights, get the third one free, and several "P-Town" galleries, businesses, and theatres are hosting free events all weekend long. To find a bargain-priced off-season getaway in your favorite beachy locale, check out the website for the town's Chamber of Commerce or call their tourism board.

Swingin' Single Ain't Sad
Misery loves company, but there's nothing to be miserable about when you've got great friends. Host a pot luck party for other single people with a fun or creative theme, like a wine tasting of red wines and pink champagnes or "Black Saturday Sink Punch", and play breakup songs—a take on this article, Singles-Only Valentine's Day Parties on a Shoestring, by Peyton Mays of MSN Shopping.

Cooking Classes
Many national gourmet food retailers, like Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, and Stonewall Kitchen, regularly offer free or low-cost cooking classes in their stores. Learn a new culinary technique or the ins and outs of your favorite style of regional cuisine and improve the quality of your dinners at home year round. If there isn't a retailer in your area, try local community education centers or audit a class at a local college or university. Sign up for a single night or a weekly class to secure date night(s) in the future for you and your best friend or your best girl/guy.

Bargain Bites
Speaking of home cooking, a great way to save money, weather out the winter, and have a special night in is to host a clambake—especially with lobster prices now at all-time low. If you're more of a takeout tycoon, save on a night on the town by reserving dinner at a restaurant offering a prix fixe menu. Prix fixe dinners with wine pairings tend to save you the most, since bottles of wine off the list have a markup of up to 300% over retail, plus you get to try a bunch of different wines that complement your dishes. If you're more of a sports fan than a fine dining foodie, check out a local pub with your honey (or your homies) for happy hour specials, laughs, and a couple of pints. On either side of the coin, you can save a bundle by purchasing gift cards through PlasticJungle.com, a gift card resale marketplace that saves you up to 40% on face value, or Restaurant.com, which offers discounts up to $80 on "gift certificates" that function like a hybrid of a coupon and a gift certificate and can be used at thousands of restaurants nationwide (restrictions vary by restaurant).

Spa Deals
Take advantage of Valentine's Day spa discounts and special offers by gifting your special someone a massage or other pampering treat. There are big bargains to be found in every metro area by calling around to favorite locations, or buy a gift card through SpaWeek.com, which partners with hundreds of spas nationwide. Through February and March, SpaWeek.com has their 1st annual "National Wellness Giveaway," in which one lucky winner in each Spaweek city will win a wellness package including a massage, a wrap, and a facial. Take it one step further for a gift that gives back all year long by signing up for a class together at a local massage therapy or shiatsu school. If that's still beyond the budget, splurge on spa products like massage oils, "lovers paintboxes" or "weekender kits" from Kama Sutra for under $75 on Amazon.com or UncommonGoods.com.

Cheapskate Classics
Bowling nights are always a fun, low-cost way to get together and get out of the house. Go head-to-head at home with arcade classics, like playing the new Super Mario Bros. for the Wii or firing up the Wii Fit, gyrating in Super Hula Hoop and laughing together in front of the TV. Get competitive and chuckle in a more low-tech way with childhood board game classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, or Boggle accompanied by a "carpet picnic" of comfort foods from your favorite takeout joint. Check out this week's Family-Friendly Valentine's Day Under $50 for more ideas on celebrating on a dime as a domestic unit.

DIY Coupons & Cards
Create your own "coupons" for chores, romance, errands, and favors customized with the tasks your partner or pal would most like to see you perform—or pick up the Porn For Women Fantasy Coupons available at Amazon.com or your local bookstore for around $6. Has a friend been bugging you to teach them guitar? Give them a "gift certificate" for lessons, redeemable at their disposal. Does your wife wish you'd do the dishes more often? Make her five "coupons" she can cash in when she needs help the most. If you're not feeling that creative, take good, old-fashioned construction paper or materials from the recycling bin and some markers to write a warm and fuzzy message for that someone in your life who needs a little love right now. If you have no time at all, check out the selection of free, often hilarious, and tongue-in-cheek electronic cards at for instant (and gratis) love-ification at SomeEcards.com, or download these free, printable DIY Love Coupons, created by Shoestring, which you can print out on card stock, cut to size, and customize with a calligraphy pen all in under 10 minutes.

Roomie Reunions
Feel like strangers passing in the night with your domestic companions? Watch an old movie, cook at home, catch up on each other's lives, or check out a neighborhood dive bar together. Join up with other singles on a pub crawl for charity, like the ones sponsored in Boston by Social Boston Sports. If you decide to stay in and share laughs over a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer instead, pull out the photo albums and yearbooks and wax nostalgic about younger (maybe simpler, maybe just full of fashion faux pas) times for a good laugh.

Whatever you decide to do for Valentine's Day this year, remember that love is not just between two partners—it's a free gift we've all been given and should share with everyone we care about. Especially during this recession, we can use all the smiles and a hugs we can get.

Copyright 2009 Shoestring, LLC. Photo: iStock