Will You Be My #ThriftyValentine? Send Us Your Frugal Valentine’s Ideas

Sure, nothing screams "I care!" like Godiva, Tiffany and a dozen red roses — but those kind of gifts are desperately traditional, and pricey to boot. What else have you got?

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Image: A woman's hand holding up a red heart-shaped lollipop.
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For people who love love, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For people who hate to spend money, it’s the worst. Four in 10 Americans are expected to celebrate Valentine’s day this year, and those who do will spend an average of $135 on gifts, according to the National Retail Federation.

Sure, nothing screams “I care!” like Godiva, Tiffany and a dozen red roses — but those kind of gifts are desperately traditional, and pricey to boot. So it’s time to get creative and tell us: How do you plan a classy celebration for a song?

We want to know how you’re planning to celebrate your Valentine’s Day on a budget. So send us your tweets, photos, vines (look, we’re on vine!) and you could appear on TIME.com. Don’t forget to tag them #ThriftyValentine.

To get your brain working, we’ve come up with some great ideas, including heart-shaped meat and a delicious fast-food meal by candlelight (natch). And if you feel like all is lost, just remember that for a lot of people, love don’t cost a thing.