Forget the ₹5,000 tasting menu. Your bank account is screaming, but your romance doesn't have to die a quiet, lonely death.
Every February, the world goes
collectively insane. Roses that usually cost ten bucks suddenly trade like blue-chip stocks. Restaurants introduce "Special Valentine Menus" which - let’s be honest - are just overpriced pasta with a heart-shaped sprig of basil. If you’re currently staring at your bank balance and wondering if you can pay rent and buy a gift, I have some news. You don’t have to choose.
Love shouldn't feel like a predatory loan. We’ve been fed this lie that "Pinterest-worthy" requires a heavy wallet. It doesn’t. It just requires you to stop being lazy and start being a bit scrappy. Here are five ways to woo your person for less than the cost of a mediocre pizza.
1. The "Sunset and Street Food" Safari
Skip the rooftop lounge. Find the highest public point near you - maybe a flyover walkway or a park bench with a view. Grab two plates of steaming momo or some spicy pav bhaji from a roadside stall. Total cost? Maybe ₹150. Use the remaining ₹350 to buy two cold coffees. Watching the sky turn orange while arguing over who gets the last piece of chutney is infinitely more romantic than sitting in a silent, air-conditioned box.
2. The Backyard (or Balcony) Cinema
Subscription services are expensive, but you likely already have one. Instead of just "scrolling and chilling," actually curate an experience. Drag your mattress to the floor. Use every fairy light you own. If you don't own any, steal some from your Diwali stash. Make a massive bowl of stovetop popcorn (₹30 for the kernels). It’s about the vibe, not the IMAX screen.
3. The "Old School" Bookstore Crawl
Go to a second-hand book market. In Kolkata, it’s College Street; in Delhi, it’s Daryaganj. Challenge each other to find the weirdest, most obscure book for under ₹100. Write a "dedication" on the inside cover. It’s a gift that actually has a soul, unlike a generic box of chocolates that’ll be gone in ten minutes.
4. The DIY Paint and Sip (Without the 'Sip' Prices)
Buy two cheap canvases and a basic acrylic set from a local stationery shop. You can definitely squeeze this under ₹400. Sit across from each other and try to paint each other's portraits. The result will likely be hideous, and you will laugh until your stomach hurts. That’s the point.
5. The Midnight "City Lights" Walk
If your city is safe enough, go for a walk when the traffic dies down. Everything looks better under streetlights. Stop at a 24/7 chai tapri. Two ginger teas and a packet of biscuits will set you back ₹40. Spend the rest of the night actually talking - without checking your phones every three minutes.
Look, intimacy isn’t a transaction. Perhaps we’ve forgotten that. A fancy dinner is just a meal, but an effort? That’s the real currency.
