February 1, 2023Galentine’s Day Ideas That Don’t Break the Bank

February 13 is officially Galentine’s Day! This year marks the 23rd anniversary since Leslie Knope coined the holiday on the TV show Parks & Recreation. Leslie liked to celebrate by taking her friends out for brunch and buying them all gifts, but we’ve got some fun ideas to help you celebrate with your friends while staying on budget. 

Charcuterie Night 

Host a BYOB (Bring Your Own Board) Charcuterie Night. Ask each of your friends to bring a themed charcuterie board of their choice for a fun tasting night. Examples could include fruit board with different fruits and dips, French fry board with different types of fries and dips, veggie board with different vegetables and dips, a typical meat and cheese board, etc.  

Wine Swap 

Set a top price point and have each of your friends bring over their favorite bottle of wine. You can have a mini wine tasting right in your own home! You can pull together some snacks, sip wine, and have a great time with your friends. 

Coffee Date 

Who says a date has to be for couples? Find a cute coffee shop and bring some friends for an inexpensive cup of joe. This option also allows you to support a small business in your area! 

Secret Cupid 

Are you familiar with Secret Santa? Well, Secret Cupid is the same concept. Organize a gift swap between friends. Apps like Elfster make it easy to execute these gift swaps, with a randomizer that picks who you’ll buy a gift for, allowing you to create a wish list so your Secret Cupid knows what you like. It also stores information like addresses, in case you have to mail your gift. 

Clothing Swap 

Have each friend bring a number of clothing items, hang them up so everyone can browse, and go shopping in your friends’ closets! Grab some Galentine’s Day snacks and drinks to much on while you browse, and you’re all set! 

If you and your friends are looking to splurge a bit more, you could try things like cooking classes, mixology classes, book a hotel room for a night, take an exercise class together, or simply go out for a fancy dinner! Whatever you decide to do, have fun and enjoy the company of your friends!