Curious how other students are spending Valentine’s Day? Here’s some inspo, whether you’re boo’d up, vibing with your besties, or happily flying solo. We’ve got budget-friendly ideas and a few little splurges coming your way.

Big love on a small budget 💸

“The dollar store can totally be your friend if you want to put together a little “basket”. They usually have cute buckets/baskets in valentines colors, you can buy a bunch of different little candies, and then you can always add other things you make or buy elsewhere.”

“It’s super cheap to print photos. I printed a bunch of photos of us together and wrote little notes on the back.”

“My boyfriend bought me $7 earrings, they mean more to me than any other jewelry I’ve ever owned.”

“Channel your inner Picasso. Grab some paint supplies from the dollar store and paint each other with a glass of wine and snacks. Sit across from each other and show each other at the end!”

“Fill a jar with 100 little strips of paper with reasons why you love him/her.”

“Homemade heart shaped pizza with choose your own toppings!”

“A handmade ‘Book of Us’ photos. Use Vistaprint and make a hardcover with your favourite photos.”

“Flowers, flowers and flowers. Get that girl flowers! You can buy them as cheap as $10-15 at Walmart or a grocery store.”

“Make a ‘coupon book’ with activities that she loves and can redeem whenever she wants. Watch a scary movie, grab boba, eat takeout, go to her favourite ice cream spot, etc.”

“A relaxing massage with her favourite candles from Bath & Body Works.”

“Grab all the ingredients and have a homemade taco bar! Throw in some nachos and put on a movie.”

“Take her out to get her nails done. Better yet, join her.”

“Grab her a book from the same author of a book she already read and loves.”

“Give roses to men; they generally don’t receive them.”

“Thrift store challenge where you buy outfits for each other”

“Write a meaningful love letter. Write what you love about him, what the relationship means to you and reminisce some of your favourite memories together!”

“We’re long distance so we’re going to spend the night on video call cooking the same meal and watching a movie together.”

“Lots of cuddling.”

“We try and find each other the worst possible card.”

“There an ice rink near us with cheap ice skates rental.”

“If y’all are gamers, pick out a fun co-op game and play together. Some of our favourites is It Takes Two, Unravelled Two, Stardew Valley and Portal. Do not play Overcooked unless you want to end up in a fight.”

Galentine’s / Bro-entine’s 🤜🤛

“Mandatory pajamas and board games.”

“I gather all my single friends and host a potluck but everyone brings something red or pink! One year, we had a fancy night in dressed up like the Great Gatsby.”

“Karaoke night using YouTube. Also try blind singing to karaoke songs where one of you sit in front of the TV facing away and try to sing the lyrics to a song someone else picks. It almost always ends up being hilarious!”

“Cup noodle night! Everyone picks their own and grab some cheap snacks as sides.”

“PowerPoint night where everyone presents something unhinged. Or present a Spotify wrapped style recap of the latest dates you’ve been on!”

“Escape room.”

“Film and edit a crazy trailer of you and your friends as if you’re in a horror movie trailer. Or dramatic reality tv trailer!”

“Gather the gals and rewatch Heated Rivalry. IYKYK.”

“This year my friends and I are putting on our hottest outfits, doing our hair and makeup and taking photos of each other! We planning to use the photos for IG or even dating profiles lol.”

“We’re getting together and picking the most unhinged low budget pluto movie for a good laugh!”

“Gym. Wings. Beer.”

“What is better than pizza? Two pizzas. Or three.”

Just another day 🤷‍♀️

“Nothing. We decided early on that it was a pointless holiday.”

“Everyday is Valentine’s Day with my honey.”

“We aren’t doing anything bc it just feels like another “to do” list thing. So we opt out and take it easy.”

“We don’t. We celebrate our togetherness 365 days a year.”

Flying Solo

“Heading over to my local mall to do some shopping and then the movie theatre to watch a movie I’ve been meaning to see. Never done it solo before but I’m getting over the fear of doing something society deems weird to do alone. Who freaking cares at the end of the day!”

“Catch up on my studies honestly.”

“Absolutely nothing = more money in my account.”

“Do a little meditation and reflection day. I’m a freshman and I want to write a letter to the future me to read when I graduate and finish my degree!”

“I f*cking love valentine’s day, even as a regularly single man. I like pink and heart shaped everything and how it’s socially acceptable for me to buy a f*ck ton of chocolate and stuffed animals. Most likely, I will be baking with my new heart shaped utensils and measuring cups and playing God of War.”

“Happily single. Bought myself a lego set and will be building it :)”

Regardless of how you decide to spend Valentine’s Day, make the day work for you.

If something a little spicier is on the menu for the day, remember that: 1. Consent = sexy. 2. Respect = love. 3. Communication = everything. 💝