Your Ultimate Guide to Conquering Valentine’s Day on a Budget
We get it, Valentine’s Day is not an official holiday, but you’d rather not mention that tidbit to your significant other. Valentine’s Day tends to be taken pretty seriously for not having the day off and not being a federal holiday. Between preparing for dates, Valentine’s Day parties, etc, there’s a lot to cover but you can rest assured, we’ve got you covered too!
You spend a lot of money on other stuff throughout the year, so we’ve compiled a list of potential Valentine’s Day options to help you save a few pennies this year.
Wardrobe
When it comes to Valentine’s Day wardrobe, there’s a lot of different ways you can play it. Maybe you have an idea in mind of the vibe you’re going for or maybe you need a bit of holiday inspiration.
Classic Ensembles
Valentine’s Day will always be synonymous with the colors red and pink and we’re definitely here for it! Feel free to play around with an all-pink or all-red ensemble. What we would recommend doing with an outfit like this is finding pieces that complement each other, but may have different patterns.
For example, a solid color outfit could work if you chose one piece of clothing, like a shirt, in a solid color and pair it with a striped or patterned pair of slacks or a skirt. What’s interesting about this is that it draws the eye, but not in a chaotic way, but in a way that looks intentional and put together.
If you prefer to rock a solid colored outfit this year, don’t be opposed to throwing in some black or white with a red outfit or if you’re wearing a pink ensemble you can pull in “nude” for a delicate and romantic touch. Oh, and before we forget, don’t be afraid to mix and match different hues of red or pink.
Play With Texture
One of my favorite ways to play with clothes and update/reinvent outfits is by playing with different fabric textures. Some may consider this a risky move, but it can be pulled off quite easily if you’re able to follow some basic steps.
When it comes to texture, there are many options out there to play with. For the most part, you have your standard cotton texture, but other textures include denim, jersey, lace, furry, silk, satin, chiffon, wool, leather, linen, velvet, tweed, elastic, spandex and many, many more!
When considering using different textures in your wardrobe, it’s a good rule of thumb to always start with a base. If you build and layer texture, make sure there’s some rhyme or reason to it. If you’re new to playing with texture, start by adding one different textured piece and if you’re feeling bold, you could level up by adding another.
If you’re feeling bold pair that solid colored ensemble with a fur jacket like a long furry coat. Not only will you have a conversational piece but it will help to break up the all-red or all-pink look, while still keeping you warm. Velvet is also a great textured option for the holiday. It exudes class and sophistication.
Personally, I consider lace to be another great holiday option. The fun thing about lace is that depending on how you style it, you can exude different moods. Lace can be sexy, but it can also be soft and romantic! You can even pair red velvet pants with a black belt and a black lace shirt. Oh la la!
Cut
Before we move on from wardrobe, we thought it might be beneficial to talk about different cuts and styles of clothing. What you wear and how you style something can say so much about your mood and what you’re going for.
Ladies, for Valentine’s Day, skirts with flirty slits and cuts are always a hit. If you’re looking for a sexy, romantic vibe there are many cuts for the upper body that are flattering, including sweetheart necklines or even plunging necklines! If you’re feeling pretty confident, go ahead and rock a bold and daring cut!
Men, if you’re feeling bold, consider pairing a nice wash pair of jeans with a V-neck solid shirt. You can dress the outfit up by throwing on a sports jacket or casual blazer.
When it comes to wardrobe and style, feel free to express yourself!
Valentine’s Day Outfit Ideas You’ll Fall In Love With | Harper’s BAZAAR
Fabric Types A to Z: Understand the Clothes You Wear | The Spruce
Fashion Glossary: A Complete Guide to Styles, Cuts, & Fits | bizchickblogs
Gifts
Jewelry
You may be wondering why we’re mentioning getting Valentine’s Day gifts from Goodwill, well it’s because we believe we have some quality items at an affordable cost. Did you know that we offer daily deals? You may not know this, but you can also shop some of our inventory online! Not too long ago we were selling a 10kt gold and diamond necklace online for only $34!
Still not convinced? How about a vintage Tiffany & Co. sterling heart key ring for only $36.01! Name brand quality items at only a fraction of the cost! But you have to be quick; our online store works on a bidding system!
Perfume & Cologne
Goodwill online doesn’t just sell jewelry. For the special someone in your life, consider getting them a gift that both of you will love, like a fragrance or perfume. There are many options to choose from including designer brands like Michael Kors, Chanel No. 5, Versace, Vera Wang, Dolce & Gabbana and Juicy Couture… just to name a few!
Perfume and cologne are great gifts to give your loved one as a Valentine’s Day gift. A gift a fragrance is one that will last a lot longer and will mean a lot more than a box of chocolates!
DIY Gifts
For those creative folks out there, DIY or Do-It-Yourself gifts are always a great and meaningful gift. Personalized photo frames with a sentimental picture and a message or handcrafted design is a gift you can be sure that your loved one can’t get at the store.
Basket of Movies & TV Shows
Does your loved one prefer a more practical gift other than the standard chocolates and flowers? Well, we’ve got you covered! Consider making your sweetie a DIY movie basket!
This easy-to-make gift is one that your loved one is sure to cherish and use throughout the years. Shop online or head to our store, MERS/Missouri Goodwill, to browse from our generous selection of films! If your sweetie pie is particular about a certain format of movies then we have many formats to choose from. From Blu-ray discs, DVDs, HD DVDs, Laserdiscs, Reels and even the good old VHS tapes we have them all!
We have an assortment of genres as well! We have TV classics like the complete “Sex and the City” series (for as low as $8.99), “Game of Thrones,” and a 31-piece “I Love Lucy” DVD collection!
As far as movies are concerned, be sure to check out horror classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (the complete DVD collection – only $10), holiday favorite “Home Alone” and “300,” just to name a few!
Feel free to mix-and-match genres, TV shows, and movies or keep it all related to a full collection or genre of movies/television shows. No one knows your honey like you do! Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to be extravagant or expensive to be meaningful, but for safe measure be sure to throw some chocolates in the basket!
Get Creative
An easy gift that is sure to be a sentimental one is to create a photo memory box. Instead of putting your sentimental relationship mementos in a box, display them as a conversational piece in your home. You can easily place your keepsakes in a photo block or into a picture frame and your loved one will surely be impressed!
Decorations
Regardless of whether you’re looking to spend Valentine’s Day at home, at work or with pals, you can get your holiday decorations at Goodwill!
The Office
If you’re thinking about throwing a small office Valentine’s Day party, then do it! The fun thing about holiday office parties is that you don’t have to have a special someone to celebrate the day with. Casual office parties should be fun and light-hearted so be sure to bring in some finger-food treats and you can even add some minimal holiday office decor!
Flowers are another thing that is synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Bring some festive cheer to the office, by adding a vase full of faux or real flowers! Faux flowers might be more cost effective and a great option for a casual holiday party. We have a variety of vases to choose from as well as an assortment of beautiful faux flowers!
One level up from the classic bouquet of flowers is making a cute Candy Heart Valentine Bouquet. You don’t need even need a large vase for this piece of décor. All you’ll need is a glass that is pretty wide and another glass that will fit inside this first outer glass. Simply fill the smaller glass up with cute pink or red flowers, place candy hearts in the area around the inner and outer glasses and top it all off with a cute little bow! This is quick and easy and is sure to be a conversational piece.
Add some more floral touches with DIY floral hearts! These are also quite easy to do with some fake flowers and a grapevine wreath form. Look for flowers that are soft pink or purple and add them to the wreath and you’re good to go! Make a variation of three of these and hang these on the office walls!
18 Sweet and Simple DIY Valentine’s day Decorations | Country Living
At-Home Celebration
Who says you have to spend Valentine’s Day celebrating the traditional way with dinner at an expensive restaurant and a movie afterward? Why not save some coins and spend a nice romantic evening indoors. Prepare a few favorite dishes and add some nice, romantic holiday décor. Oh and don’t forget to cue the music!
These Valentine’s Day projects are cute and simple but will look like you spent hours and a lot of money to create them. The first DIY home decoration idea on our list is one that is both a centerpiece and a conversational piece.
A Valentine’s Day Heart Backdrop is a beautiful decoration to any home this upcoming holiday. What you’ll need is some chicken wire and some red/pink faux flowers or napkins. You’re simply going to make a heart with these flowers or napkins. Once it’s finished you can hang this up on a wall somewhere and it will look like you’ve had this piece professionally made! Oh and did we mention, this DIY project is definitely Instagram worthy!
Another beautiful and non-tacky Valentine’s Day decoration is creating a “blossoming letter monogram.” The beauty of this little gem right here is that it is a decoration that can stay up well past the holiday. We suggest making your monogrammed letter your joint last name initial if you’re married, or you could even make two letters with you and your honey buns’ first names!
For this project, you’ll need fake flowers (roses offer a nice touch), scissors, a paper mache letter, an X-Acto knife, hot glue gun (or strong tape), and white spray paint. In essence, you’ll cut the stems off of your flowers, cut off the top of the paper mache letter, spray paint the letter white and hot glue the beautiful flowers you hand selected inside the letter. If you need further details or more in-depth steps, be sure to check out the link below!
Add some more holiday touches around the house with some red pillows, balloons, and candlelight! By the way, these decorations are also a great addition to any friends Valentine’s Day parties.
DIY Valentine’s Day Heart Backdrop | Little Peanut
Blooming Monogram DIY | Lulu’s
Regardless of how you decide to spend Valentine’s Day, you can still celebrate it on a budget and that’s what we’re here for – to save you a few extra coins! So this year I hope you’re feeling a bit inspired to try something new.
