In a month full of love, candy hearts, and flowers it can be easy to fall into the trap of the "spare no expense" thought process of expressing your feelings to your companion. I'll admit that I enjoy the sappiness of Valentine's Day and or any celebration of love like anniversaries and such. I'll even admit especially when our love was young that I would equate the amount of money spent on a gift to how much love and value my Valentine placed on our relationship.
Maybe it's getting older and thus wiser. Maybe it's having children that help deplete the ole' bank account a little faster. Maybe it's appreciating the surprise of flowers much more on any "regular" day vs. the holiday when they're twice as much. I'm not sure.
What I do know is that as I've aged and as I have recognized my spouse's love language, I have learned that the secret to an amazing relationship is in everyday romance. I've also learned there are incredibly less expensive ways to show my love and be quite the romantic. Check out these easy and super cheap ways to show love, and try one out.
Ten General Ideas:
- Write a love letter – not just any love letter and not in an email. Write down the top ten reasons you love your spouse.
- Pick flowers from your garden or the side of the road.
- Lay out a blanket under the stars and spend time together just "being".
- Make handmade greeting cards and/or crafts.
- Rent a romantic movie and watch it together with your favorite snack foods.
- Pack your spouse's lunch with their favorites — and throw in a few Hershey's "hugs & kisses".
- Give your spouse a massage.
- Go on a walk together and hold hands.
- Write little love notes and leave them all over the house, in calendars, bags, or on his/her desk.
- Bring them lunch at work.
Here are my favorites that have worked for me:
- Say "I love you" more.
- Give ten-second hugs (and don't be the first to let go).
- Spend time learning and supporting your spouse's hobby.
- Do a chore that you know your spouse really doesn't like to do.
- Cook for your spouse; their favorite meal.
Go camping – you really rely on each other for entertainment and your "time" together speaks volumes to someone who speaks their love in quality time.
- Plan a date night – go all out and make reservations, pick the movie, and find a sitter.
- Bring home good coffee or a decadent sweet.
- Take a nap together.
- Take some quiet time to talk about your day – for my husband this was everyone in the family eating together at the table and discussing their day.
Have methods of your own, or perhaps some that you've tried in the past? Please share with us.
