Bella Patton, Campus Carrier features editor

Ava Jarrell, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

Every February brings about the first gift-giving holiday of the year: Valentine’s Day. Students look forward to spending time with their significant others, families and friends. Unfortunately, many traditional Valentine’s dinners and gifts can be expensive, especially for college students. However, budget-friendly alternatives can help make Valentine’s Day more affordable. 

Dining out is a classic tradition on a romantic Valentine’s evening or a nice beginning to a night with friends. However, it can also be an expensive choice, with the price of sit-down meals well into the $40-$50 range.

A thoughtful and creative answer could lie in home-cooked or even dorm-cooked meals. While not everybody has a background in the culinary arts, these recipes are all-around cheap, delicious and easy to make. According to Suzanna Casey from website SuzieTheFoodie’s recipe, a homemade version of fettuccini alfredo can be a great alternative to eating out. 

Walmart’s Great Value brand has many inexpensive ingredient options for this recipe. There are a wide variety of all-purpose flour options, but you can buy Walmart’s for $2.38. Next, the recipe calls for three eggs, with a carton priced around $1.97 at Walmart. Salted butter sticks can also be found for $1.94. Finally, shredded parmesan cheese is $2.98. 

This recipe starts with placing the flour in a mound on a clean surface with a well dipped in the middle. This well is where three whisked eggs will be added into the flour. Once the eggs are cracked and whisked, pour them into the well and pull the flour into the mixture a little at a time. Once it’s thickened, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This typically takes about ten minutes. Then, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for about thirty minutes. After it rests, cut the dough into two to four pieces, and then flatten each piece until it is thin, but not tearing. Lightly flour the dough and use a sharp knife to make quarter inch wide noodles. Toss these noodles in flour once again and then let them rest on a drying rack or floured towel. 

While the noodles are resting, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once it is boiling, add the noodles and boil them until they are floating. This typically takes two to three minutes. Finally, drain the remaining amount of water and add butter to the noodles until they are coated. Then, add shredded parmesan until creamy and enjoy. All of these ingredients come out to around $9.27, a much cheaper price compared to the fettuccini alfredo found in restaurants.

Another cheap meal option is peanut noodles. This recipe starts with one package of chicken flavored ramen. A package of ramen can be purchased at Walmart for $0.47, and a box of multiple packages can be purchased for $3.58. Next, Great Value smooth peanut butter in this recipe can be purchased for $1.98. The soy sauce can also be found at Walmart at about $1.58 per bottle. The ginger and garlic powder can be bought for $2.36 and $1.08, respectively. Next, green onions can be found for $0.96 per bunch, and a bottle of sesame seeds can be purchased for $2.12. 

This recipe begins by cooking the ramen over the stove with its included chicken seasoning packet. When the ramen is finished boiling, reserve a quarter cup of the water and combine it with one tablespoon of peanut butter, one tablespoon of ginger, one tablespoon of garlic and a half tablespoon of Soy Sauce. Mix well and add it to the ramen noodles. Finally, sprinkle green onion and sesame seeds over the noodles, and enjoy a cheap meal of peanut noodles that costs around $8.91. 

Valentine’s Day also often involves gifts such as baskets, chocolate or flowers. Unfortunately, many of these gifts can be expensive, especially for college students. Valentine’s baskets can be as much as $30 to $50 depending on the type of items included. However, more affordable items can help take financial pressure off the holiday. 

One way to create a cheaper gift for Valentine’s Day is to avoid the pre-made, expensive gift baskets and instead opt for making one yourself. Stores such as Dollar Tree, Dollar General and Walmart offer baskets and bins priced between $1.25 and $5. Next, inexpensive tissue paper can be used to line the baskets, with prices around $1 per package at Walmart. Opting to fill the basket with do-it-yourself ideas from stores such as Dollar Tree or cheaper chocolate brands such as Russell Stover at Walmart can also help keep costs low. Russell Stover chocolates can be found for as cheap as $1.79. 

Another staple of Valentine’s Day are flower bouquets. While bouquets are a classic gift every year, some can be expensive with prices ranging all the way from $30 to upwards of $60. However, there are tricks to finding more affordable flowers to gift for the holiday. 

The first tip involves opting to buy flowers such as carnations, daisies or baby’s breath, as roses are the most expensive during this season. Some of these flowers are even known to last longer than roses, giving more time in bloom in addition to being cheaper. You can also assemble the bouquet yourself instead of paying for the service. Online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok offer a wide variety of tutorials on how to prepare and arrange flowers to ensure they look nice and to give them the best chance of staying in bloom for longer. 

Additionally, many stores mark down their Valentine’s Day merchandise in the days following the holiday. If you are willing to wait until Sunday, prices in stores can be discounted over 50%. This is a great opportunity to buy pre-made gifts and bouquets without having to spend as much money on them as you would the day before. 

Finally, the Berry community itself is offering multiple opportunities for students to find affordable gifts for Valentine’s Day. The Shipyard’s Season Harvest has red roses, light pink carnations, pink alstroemeria, baby’s breath and greenery available for $35 per bouquet. Availability for these bouquets is first come first serve, and orders can be placed through a form sent through students’ emails on Feb. 5. These bouquets can be picked up both Friday 
and Saturday. 

Many organizations and residence halls are also hosting events. KCAB’s Koffee House is tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and lets students make a bouquet and decorate a flower pot. Also today at 6 p.m. is a Galentine’s party hosted in Dana’s second central common room where students can make bouquets. Students can make cards tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Dana’s second central common room as well.