13 Basically Free Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Even people who love Valentine's Day can agree that at the end of the day, it's just another excuse to spend money on fancy candy and expensive flowers. But you don't actually have to spend money at all to enjoy celebrating the holiday with your significant other. Here are 13 ways to show your guy/girl/person that you don't need to break the bank to show your love.

1. Cover the room with love-note filled balloons for your significant other to pop.

Cut little slivers of paper and write down all the things you love about the other person or about you as a couple. Fill empty balloons with as many rolled-up notes as you want, and then blow up the balloons and spread them all over the room. At first glance, the balloons will just look like V-Day decorations, but once the balloons get popped, your little love-note surprises will be there waiting.

2. Bundle up with blankets and warm drinks, and go on a walk to watch the sunset. It might be chilly outside, but nothing is more romantic than cuddling up in front of a sunset view.

3. Build a cozy blanket fort for an all-day movie marathon. If you haven't built a blanket fort in a while, you've probably forgotten how fun they are to make and hang out in. Set up yours in front of the TV, make some popcorn, and cuddle up to watch movies for as long as you want.

Lips Pillow, DORMIFY, $36; XO Pillow, DORMIFY, $36

4. Cover your significant other's mirror with Post-it notes listing all the things you love about him/her. Make a heart shape with the notes, or spell out something fun and cute.

5. Turn off all the lamps and overhead lights, and have a candlelit night instead. What's more romantic than candles? Whether you have plans to cook a nice meal, watch a movie, or just hang out, do so with a bunch of candles lit. They'll instantly make the ambience of the room feel more romantic and special.

6. Surprise your loved one with breakfast in bed. No need to spend hours making an elaborate meal. Raid your pantry and fridge, and whip up something easy (scrambled eggs are always good) but special. Bonus points for any food you can make into a heart shape.

7. Fill a jar with future date-night ideas. It's easy to fall into the same old routine when going on dates, so add creativity to your relationship by brainstorming a bunch of ideas. Draw an idea from the jar one at a time, and do whatever it says that night.

8. Make a "Valen-timeline" of your relationship highlighting all your favorite past moments together. Print out photos you love from moments you've shared, and jot down the details of each event on the back. Try to remember as much as you can, so you both can look back on all the good times and compare memories. Hang them in order on a piece of ribbon, like a timeline, for him/her to find.

9. Make a collage of mementos from your relationship-defining moments. Grab a picture frame, poster board, or a canvas, and cover it with things like photos and ticket stubs from concerts or movies you saw together. Seal the pieces to the canvas with Mod Podge so he or she can keep your finished artwork for years to come.

10. Take your significant other on a scavenger hunt to all your favorite places, and spend the day visiting each one. You can't celebrate V-Day without some kind of cheesy poetry, so turn your clues into little love poems and hide them at each spot for your loved one to find.

11. Give the gift of handmade love coupons. Come up with a list of inexpensive things your guy/girl would love (a massage, a movie night when he/she gets to pick the movie, etc.). Make little coupons they can redeem whenever they want.

12. Hide little notes all around your significant other's home, car, coat pockets, etc. for him/her to find throughout the day. You know how good it feels to find a dollar in your pocket, so imagine how sweet it would be to find random love-note surprises everywhere.

13. Wake up early to do all the annoying things on your significant other's to-do list, so you can spend the entire day together. Little acts of kindness go a long way, and you'll have extra time to hang out and do fun things.