Valentine’s Day is full of enough chocolates, flowers, and cute stuffed animals to make anyone taken swoon or anyone single feel lonely. And with all the advertisements displaying enough expensive merchandise and jewelry to make anyone broke, it can be hard to remember the true theme of Valentine’s Day: love. We all want to tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them, but this shouldn’t be limited to only our significant others - everyone deserves to feel loved this Valentine’s Day.
So whether you’re showing your favorite third wheel how much they mean to you or your fellow single friend that you both don’t need a special someone, here’s a list of things you can do to show your single friends some extra love this Valentine’s Day.
Buy Some Flowers For Charity
Buying flowers for your loved ones can be pretty expensive and difficult, especially if you don’t have a car to pick them up or the delivery fees are killer. Check out what’s going on around campus and see what charities you can help out while also showing your friends you love them!
Whether you want to buy some roses to support a Greek life philanthropy fundraiser or your friend is trying to meet their Dance Marathon goal by delivering flowers on Valentine’s Day, kill two birds with one stone by helping out a cause you care about while showing some love to the people you care about.
Chicken Is The New Chocolate
As a broke college student, food is one of the best gifts you can receive. These heart-shaped platters from Chick-fil-A are just adorable and who doesn’t love breakfast in bed, especially if it consists of Chick-n-Minis?! They’re available until February 28th so you have time to get one for bae (if you have one), your friends, and even yourself.
Have A Movie Night With Valentine’s Day Candy and Homemade Treats
If you have a significant other on Valentine’s Day and already have plans to do something special that night, why not have a night with your friends the next day or over the weekend? You can even make some impressive sweet treats together for an extra activity.
Feel free to save some money by getting all of that candy on sale the 15th and watching a movie in the comfort of your home surrounded by the ones you love most.
Spend Some Time Outdoors
Working out isn’t that fun, but working out with friends increases the fun level exponentially. Whether you want to focus on some self-care with an on campus yoga class, take a hike and enjoy the nature around Gainesville, hammock in the trees near Lake Alice, or hit the gym with your pals, you’ll make some fun memories while getting your sweat on and getting fresh air too.
Get Them A Plant
Flowers are beautiful, but they only last for a little while. I recommend getting your loved ones a cute succulent or plant that can continue to grow as your relationship grows (very cheesy I know). They're not only beautiful but can also be used to decorate their dorm, apartment, or living space.
Make Your Own Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The ultimate Valentine’s Day treat doesn’t have to only be for those in romantic relationships. Not only are these super easy to make yourself, but they’re also less expensive compared to store-bought ones. They can be healthy too if you use dark chocolate with your fresh strawberries. You can make some traditional chocolate covered strawberries or make it even easier by avoiding melting chocolate in your dorm all together by using this Nutella recipe.
Go To A Nice Dinner With Your Friends
Leslie Knope isn’t the only one who can host her own Galentine's Day themed dinner for her friends. Get all of your single and taken friends together for a night to celebrate how much you appreciate one another's friendship and individuality! If you want to spice it up, you can ditch your traditional Taco Bell run and replace it with a nice dinner so everyone has the chance to dress up the week of the 14th.
The Takeaway
Whether you're single or taken this Valentine's Day, it's always nice to show those around you that you love them. You can spend a couple bucks on flowers or homemake chocolate covered strawberries to show them that you appreciate their presence in your life. Just taking the time to make plans with friends can help make sure no one is lonely on Valentine's Day.