This Valentine's Day Romance without Breaking the Bank

With Valentine's Day around the corner you want to show your loved ones how much they mean to you, but with the recession fresh in your memory you don't want to break the bank. So here are a few ideas to get you in the mood for romance which won't break the budget.

We have separated the ideas into four areas - atmosphere, food, clothing and luxury sex toys which will hopefully follow the evening through.

Atmosphere

This can be the easiest to achieve on a very tight budget and even without spending a penny. Why run out and spend on new romantic songs? The first place you should look is in your current collection. The majority of you will have something in your collection suitable for a romantic dinner and your music player you can set up a special listing of romantic songs. In fact your partner will appreciate you taking time to select songs far more than if you simply go and buy a new album or tracks.

Lighting can be a problem. In those Hollywood romance films subdued lighting with dozens of candles looks gorgeous. What you don't see are the extra lights and shading used to create that effect, along with the fire extinguishers in case someone knocks over a candle. A simple single candle in the centre of the table really proves the saying that less is more. It conveys the feeling of romance and intimacy but doesn't break the bank and more importantly isn't as much of a fire hazard as dozens of naked flames.

Food

Well prepared food is a must, but as with anything else it doesn't have to be expensive or look like the movies. The most important aspect of the food is getting it right. By that we mean you serve something your partner will enjoy, but at the same time make it memorable. If you are a fantastic cook and can rustle up a gourmet type meal from leftovers then by all means prepare a fantastic four course meal. However if you struggle in the kitchen then prepare a meal you are confident you can do. That may simply mean one course, but again as with the candles less is more and your partner will appreciate the effort far more than you burning down the kitchen.

Clothing or Attire

This is where it can get very interesting. As soon as you mention clothing in relation to Valentine's Day people will automatically think of sexy lingerie or for gents a new suit, which can be expensive. So the first place to look should be your wardrobe, how many of your old clothes don't you wear anymore? Ladies you have some gorgeous underwear which you brought for a special occasion in the past but have never worn again. Well tonight is the night to get it out again. Gents, remember that suit you purchased especially for that wedding or the shirt you brought last year for a special occasion, well tonight is that special occasion.

If you are eating at home and fancy a more light-hearted meal, why bother with clothes at all? Ladies imagine your man serving you your dinner in nothing but an apron. Or gents, how about coming back into the dining room to discover your lover sitting there, waiting to be served wearing nothing at all. What could be more erotic and cheaper?

Luxury Toys

This is where you might be expecting us to advise you to rush out and buy a whole load of sex toys online with the money you saved earlier. Well you are going to be mistaken. Yes, there are literally hundreds of quality sex toys on the market, but this is about saving money in these difficult times.

Experimentation in the bedroom is fun and Valentine's Day is the perfect day to try something different. How about a gentle game of tie and tease? There's no need for expensive gear yet, use some scarves. They give the feeling of restraint, but with the softness of a scarf it doesn't feel intimidating.

Open up your freezer and right there in front of you, you have an amazingly erotic substance - ice. Don't put fresh ice onto bare skin, instead put some in a glass of water and after a few seconds take a cube out, spread it over your lover and watch as the coolness of the ice hits their senses.

Depending on experience you may have a whole collection of high end sex toys to play with so get them all out and play with the ones you haven't touched in years. For others trying a new position may be just as much fun and that is the key point to make here. You should be having fun.