Romance on a budget
Ready or not, students at Utah State University are annually faced with a day that is excitedly anticipated by some and absolutely dreaded by others — Valentine’s Day.
To mark the occasion, those involved in romantic relationships are expected to not only venture on enjoyable dates with their partners but to garnish them with gifts.
According to an article published by CNBC, the average American expected to spend $142 on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2020.
For college students paying thousands of dollars in tuition, such an expense can be rather towering. Fortunately, it is still entirely possible for USU students to enjoy the holiday with their significant others without losing their homes or draining their bank accounts.
According to one USU student Victoria Mendoza you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to have a good date. In fact, Mendoza thinks a visit to a rather inexpensive fast food restaurant could make a fun night out.
“McDonald’s came out with this new menu yesterday. It’s like a hack menu where they have surf and turf and that kind of thing,” Mendoza said. “Doing something like that is cheap, but it’s also super fun and interesting.”
Mendoza also considered watching movies to be an inexpensive date activity and recommended “About Time” though she warned that it is a tear-jerker.
Similar to how dates can be incredibly cheap and still contain fun activities for all parties involved, Valentine’s gifts can also be meaningful and cute without costing a devastating amount of money.
Drew Thorngren, the senator for the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, said that he plans to spend $25 to $30 on a gift for his significant other.
“My wife wants flowers and a Toothless pillow from ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’” Thorngren said.
For those with a desire to have a Valentine’s date but without the money to do something extravagant, Thorngren recommends driving to Bear Lake and back, bowling or getting on the kiss cam at a basketball game.
While all of these ideas can act as starting points for USU students planning their day of love on a budget, they may fall far beneath or above what someone is willing to spend on dates and gifts.
Amanda Christensen, an accredited financial counselor and associate professor with USU Extension, uses a budgeting method that factors in her take-home income as a way to determine how much to spend.
“I save 1% of my take-home pay for spontaneous gifts and occasions like Valentine’s Day. There are a lot of expenses on our plates right now and, with inflation, the cost for everyday groceries and gas is just increasing. So, I still like to save 1% to be able to do these fun things,” Christensen said. “One percent doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but if you save each month, stash away one percent, it adds up over time.
Because people have to eat — whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not — Christensen also recommended incorporating that activity into the celebration, saying that people can either go out and enjoy food together or they can all come together and bring a dish of their own to share.
-Brock.Marchant@usu.edu