It fell on a quiet and busy Tuesday this year. It gave many limited time to enjoy a day of love with the ones they love the most. Many had to work or go about their normal business activities and ended up too tired to have a great time. Some also had to wake up early the next morning to work again.

If you ask me, Valentine’s day shouldn’t be on the 14th of February anymore. Let’s just make it the second Friday of February. This way, it will usher the weekend and people will not be thinking about work. There will be enough time to spend with that special someone and strengthen relationships.

The main concern for many is not the amount of love shown but the costs that usually come with it. But how does one balance the two? In fact, the best way is to spend little and love deep. Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online hotel booking website, brings you a few inexpensive ways to have a memorable valentine’s weekend.

1 EAT and SAVE - Food is sometimes considered as a very inexpensive way of showing love. It’s even amazing when you have a love-filled dinner with that special person. However, if care is not taken, you may end up spending more on food than you could have spent doing something else. Some restaurants are very expensive but give off low quality while others are very affordable but give amazing packages. Many restaurants will come up with great weekend deals on dinner with special giveaways, ‘’buy one get one free’’ and other special promos. Take advantage and spend less while you have an amazing experience. You can also look the other way! A ‘’kelewele’’ walk with ‘’bae’’ or grabbing an ice cream with ‘’boo’’ may just cost a few cedis but presents an opportunity to bond and spend quality time with your loved one.

2 GET-a-WAY - The mere thought of traveling away from home just for the weekend may put you off if you begin to calculate the costs. You grab a pen and paper with the calculator on the side. Relax! After you punch the ‘’=’’ sign, you may just have a nervous breakdown or probably faint. The figure is alarming having to factor in transportation, feeding, accommodation, and other things. Take a deep breath! There is a reason for online travel websites with many amazing discounts of up to 50% OFF. Some even have packages that come with free breakfast, lunch or dinner. Others go the extra mile to give you complimentary massages, movie tickets and some gifts. Take advantage! Don’t pay a lot for something that you can pay very little for. Just pack your backs, go online and book your stay. Love is in the air!

3 HOME-STYLE - Just maybe, heading out isn’t the best way to spend the valentine weekend. Have you thought about doing it the home-style? I mean cooking together and having dinner in bed or on the floor with some good wine, good music and candles? Won’t it be nice to save the transportation to the restaurant, the waiters tip and even the ticket at the car park? Think about it. You can cook the same meals together while you have fun doing it and share some love right from your kitchen. After dinner, there are countless things to do. You can split open your album, laugh at some funny old memories and make plans for the future. You just saved yourself some money for better use later.



4 MOVIES - One activity that has proven very effective for many couples is having a ‘’movie night’’. A date out at the cinemas watching a romantic movie with a drink and some popcorn while you cuddle may just be the spark needed. A great romantic scene from the movie may spark up some nice emotions or even help trigger some lovely memories. The trick here is to select good romantic movies. You can’t afford to go watch a horror movie during valentines unless you plan on scaring the love of your life away. If you are not too certain about the movie showing, just plan your own movie night at home. Select the most romantic movies, bake something and grab a few drinks. Your valentine’s weekend is SET!!!

5 Make little funny gifts - So apart from a dinner, a getaway, a movie night or even some fun at home, there is usually one more thing to be done. Your partner may be expecting a gift. Sometimes based on previous years and after comparing with what their friends received, they expect more from us. However, the most amazing gifts are always not the most expensive but the ones that come with so much thought and love. Why not make a gift for him/ her? You don’t always have to buy. Just go online and get a few ideas on what to make. Bake a cake, make a funny card, write a short story or even try drawing him or her. You know your partner best and will know exactly what makes them happy. Be creative! It costs less.

6 Have a shared cost valentines - In unity always lies strength. Also, shared cost is always better than bearing the cost alone. So after thinking about all the things you can do alone, why not take a second to think about teaming up with other couples and splitting the costs. It becomes less expensive when you are not the only one paying for it. Book for a beach house, a group dinner or even organize a house party with all the couples in your family or with a few friends. You often get discounts at hotels and restaurants when you do a group booking. Sharing love all over is also one way to avoid a long boring weekend with one person doing the same things over and over again. So share love and share the costs.

Remember to love BIG and spend small this valentine’s weekend. Next week, there will still be bills to pay and love pays no bills.