Here are five ideas to show your other half how special they are without breaking the bank.

Make a framed photo collage

Choose photos that put your relationship in chronological order, by months or years. Trawl through Facebook, or other social networking sites, for photos you and your partner are tagged in as well as those you’ve uploaded yourself. You can pick up frames of all shapes and sizes cheaply from charity shops.

Plan a treasure hunt

Write clues on heart-shaped pieces of paper and place them in envelopes, then hide the envelopes around the house in imaginative hiding places. Some suggestions:

Clue 1 ‘I think you’re brrrrilliant!’ (next clue hidden inside the fridge)
Clue 2 ‘Let’s nurture our love so it keeps growing’ (next clue hidden under a pot plant)

Hide a gift in the final destination, such as teddy bear, a rose or a special item that has sentimental value for your partner.

Create an indoor picnic

Eating together is romantic, but there’s no need to cook a fancy 3-course meal. Send the kids to a babysitter and set up an indoor picnic in the living room or bedroom. Share finger foods and favourite treats with a bottle of nice wine.

Present Valentine IOU coupons

For example: “I will make your favourite dinner once a month”; “I will look after the kids one night a month so you can go out with your friends”, “I will let you be in charge of the remote control one weekend a month”, etc. write or print them out on pretty paper, punch a hole in each one and tie them together with a ribbon for your loved-one to tear off as needed.

messageinabottleSend a message in a bottle

Clean a wine bottle and remove labels. If you no longer have the cork, buy one from a hardware shop. Fill the bottle about 2 inches deep with sand (or substitute sugar or salt) and maybe some glitter or sequins. Write or print a personal note on paper, roll up and tie with ribbon, leaving one end longer than the other. Attach the long end of the ribbon to the bottom of the cork so that it can be pulled out easily and insert the cork loosely into the neck of the bottle.