by Jonathan Lavigne
Editor in Chief

Every year, the same gripes pop up about how Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a fictional holiday used to sell more Hallmark cards and jewelry than people can really afford.

True as this might be, in its purest sense, February 14 is more than just a day to splurge on your loved ones—it’s a day for you to show them what they mean to you.

Granted, I believe that ideally you should do so everyday. With the way people’s lives have become more hectic in this fast-paced world with dual incomes and deadlines, time is more and more of a scarce commodity.

Valentine’s Day should not be about the jeweled necklaces or a dozen roses. It should be a time where no matter what, it’s not about the singular “you,” but about “both of you.”

Hard pressed for cash because of your latte addiction? Fret not: Here are six cheap, yet special things you can do on Valentine’s Day to make your special someone feel exactly that way: special.

1. Use your creativity and craft something. Don’t buy a card; make one.

2. Poems rock. Tell her how you REALLY feel.

3. Mixtapes are so 1980’s. CDs are impractical. Make her a playlist and sneak it onto her iPod with a Post-It note telling her so. Better yet, learn how to play one of those songs and serenade her.

4. Three words: personalized fortune cookies.

5. The dollar store is like a treasure trove of romantic bliss if you know how to use it. Buy cute, Indoor candle-lit picnic. Don’t buy her dinner—make it yourself.

6. Get cheap plastic flowers. Buy a vase. Add a homemade card with a message saying: “Unlike real flowers that will wilt and die away, my love for you will last eternally.”

Valentine’s Day is over-rated. Romance isn’t. Letting them know your love doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Like the Beatles once wrote: “Say you don’t need no diamond ring and I’ll be satisfied. Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can’t buy. I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love.”