Hey, lovers, spend more time, and less money, today

So what if you’re trying to keep it casual this Valentine’s Day? I won’t judge.

Some of you celebrated in full over the weekend instead of splurging tonight. Maybe the hyped-up commercialism of the day turns you off from pricey restaurant “specials.” Or perhaps your idea of a perfect date is snuggling up together at home.

Whatever your situation, here are a few 11th-hour ideas you can enjoy together — because it’s the memories you create, not the cost, that make Valentine’s Day special.

Massage: There’s no shortage of spa bargains out there, and what better way to wind down after a work day? Or save the coupon for the weekend when you both have more time. Group-buying website HalfOffDepot.com emails your coupon almost immediately (if you’re not using mobile) and offers deals like a 90-minute massage from mobile company Metta Station Massage or a one-hour Swedish massage and foot scrub from Helping Hands Massage Studio in Marietta, each for only $32 per person.

Treats: Snag something sweet and unexpected for your Sugar Dumpling, like a free chocolate-covered bacon stick (in dark or milk chocolate) from Adams Apples in Avondale Estates, available through the Scoutmob app on your smartphone. Or moon over macchiatos with 50 percent off World of Coffee and Tea in Duluth, also via Scoutmob. Lovers hankering for made-from-scratch cinnamon doughnuts can take advantage of 15 percent off Duck’s Cosmic Kitchen in Decatur with an offer from the SparkQuest app.

Restaurants: Not all Valentine’s Day restaurant specials are out of control (read: $350 a couple). At Maggiano’s Little Italy, the Month of Love Meal for Two is available throughout February at all three locations: Buckhead, Cumberland and Perimeter. It features two entrees, a shared appetizer and dessert and two glasses of wine for $70 (the perfect amount of food, if you ask me). Serpas True Food, in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, is offering a three-course prix fixe dinner for $90 a couple. And Midtown’s Escorpion is tempting you with a shared appetizer and dessert, an entree or taco plate and a Valentine’s Day-inspired cocktail for $30 a person.

Ice skating: Ice may be cold, but holding hands while skating is sure to give you the warm fuzzies. Park Tavern is offering free ice skating tonight for each $15 voucher you buy toward food and drinks at the Midtown restaurant, which has its own rink. A voucher covers skating for one person, so couples will need to buy two. If you only want to skate tonight, the voucher can be used for food and drink at a later date.

Coupons: Dare to be “frugmantic” — romantic and frugal at the same time — by choosing a restaurant based on the coupons it offers. How about 57 percent off Roswell’s Nine Street Kitchen or 52 percent off Elevation Chophouse in Kennesaw? Both deals are on SweetJack.com.

Free movie rental: If you want to avoid tonight’s chaos and high prices, visit the Redbox Facebook page and click on the “Valentines” tab. Send your loved one a valentine with a coupon code for a free DVD rental, then pick it up together after work. Add some jammies and a bottle of wine to make it the perfect night. You don’t have to watch a chick flick, but you must use the offer today.

Super-cashz: Free cheese dip today | Candle-lit dinners at Waffle House

What are you doing to celebrate today, and how are you saving money?

– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter

Tweet

Follow me on Facebook | Twitter | Email