Valentine’s Day: Love it or hate it, you’ve probably found yourself scrambling at the last minute to find a gift for your partner. We get it. It’s not a lack of love. It’s just that life can get busy. That’s why we wanted to put together a date night on the cheap, all sourced from your corner CVS or Walgreens.
Sure, they can be full of corny, over-priced items. But most of them have a least a few hidden gems that are surprisingly classy. And even if it’s not diamonds or pearls, it’s the thought that counts, right?
Full disclosure: I ran to the Walgreens on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. In less than an hour (I have places to be, people), I assembled an array of drinks, snacks and gifts. Here’s what I ended up with:
Go-to gifts
Squishmallows are popular stuffed animals with silly names and quirky backstories. I found a small keychain of a monster named Willett. How could I resist that winking face? Willett ($5.99) set the stage for my ensemble.
I then spotted a fake plant in a tiny llama-shaped container ($7.99) that was a bit more subtle than some of the other Valentine’s decorations on offer, so I added it as well as some pretty pink candles in glass jars (three for $14.99). The candles were a splurge, I admit, but they’ll keep their shine past Valentine’s Day.
Finally, for the flowers. I picked up three red roses with baby’s breath ($12.99). So, it’s not a baker’s dozen, but it does the trick. (Walgreens still had full bouquets when I did my shopping. But I’d expect the selection and quality to dwindle as the clock ticks closer to the holiday.)
Just desserts
I’m a big chocolate person, so I went with two types of relatively inexpensive but delicious cookies for my Valentine’s dessert. Pepperidge Farm Milanos ($5.79, the dark chocolate kind) have an elevated look and are more grown up than the typical heart-shaped box of chocolates. They were an easy grab from the snack aisle. I also picked up some Bauducco wafer cookies ($1.25) to add to my mini dessert charcuterie tray.
I also found a Godiva dark chocolate bar with little hearts on it for $3.99. It pulled everything together, made it seem special, and I was thrilled at the price point. It definitely seems more expensive than it is.