February 14th is fast approaching. Have you planned what you’ll do with your significant other? As it turns out, my wife has the evening off. Last year we splurged on a dinner at Red Lobster and watched a movie afterwards. It wasn’t exactly the most romantically inspired Valentines Day on record, but it sufficed. The thought of doing the same rote date for this Valentines brought up something else to consider. How many people in this economy could really afford an expensive night out on the town? I know we can’t right now. So why not think of some fun ways to save money while still enjoying each other’s company? I’ve romanticized about this Saturday’s outing and come up with a few ways to save money without being the cheap date.

1. For those in warm areas (or the unseasonably warm Midwest), throw together an elegant picnic in a secluded place. With the right assortment of fruits and wine, the sun may not be the only thing keeping you warm.
2. As a rule, most men buy a dozen roses. Why a dozen? The red rose symbolizes true love. I suppose a dozen symbolizes this twelve times over. Wouldn’t a single rose do the same trick? Better yet, try a lilac or carnation. They’re beautiful too.
3. Many communities have dance lessons on a weekly basis. If your partner has talked about spicing up the romance, why not give salsa or ballroom dancing lessons a chance? It’s a gift that could bring you closer to your partner over the coming months.
4. The comfy date at home with some candles, homemade dinner, Redbox rental or bad TV. The memories will come from your actions, not the cost of the activity.
5. Do something out of character for your loved one. If you never cook, try your hand at a flombay.
6. If you do go out to dinner, you can save money even at a fancy restaurant. You might share an appetizer, stay away from the alcohol, and share an entree. They will be big portions anyways, right?
7. Do something old fashioned, like go for a walk or a drive (lookout point?).
8. Flower petals, candles, and your own energy can make for a romantic evening. Think of ways to surprise your lover without draining your wallet.
9. Write a poem for your lover.
10. A choreographed performance of her favorite love song could cement this Valentine’s Day into her mind.

It’s 2009 and there’s an economic depression coming fast our way. Thousands of Americans have lost their jobs and the forecasts look bleak for the near future. If you’ve been on the fence about financial situations, then now is the time to jump into the savings side. Americans can no longer wrestle with the credit monster and expect to win. This year, as Obama said, change needs to happen.

I’ve fallen victim myself to the easy credit lending of major credit cards. They entice you with introductory offers, and they make spending thousands of unearned dollars quite easy. If you’re like me, you probably realized those hard earned dollars were being spent on interest and fees rather than the principle balance. It was a vicious cycle.

To become unburdened by debt and begin saving money for future, we need to set realistic goals for the year, as well as create a budget. We’re going to be talking about these topics, as well as new ideas to help you scrimp and save for that budget. In addition to new content, we’re always open to suggestions and ideas. Feel free to visit our forums to ask anything related to finance and savings, as well as here in the comments. If you’re a new reader, we hope you’ll stick around to learn something and contribute. You also never know when we’ll do a cool contest.

In the meantime, there are quite a few books that could help you jumpstart your money saving ways. You could try The Millionaire Next Door, Your Money or Your Life, or The Net Worth Workout. Any of these titles could help you create wealth and live a better life. And isn’t that what we want?

Do any of you have good financial books to recommend?

What holiday urge are we talking about? It can be one thing only — spending money without any sense of reason. The holidays tend to cause a blackhole type of effect in most people’s budgets. It’s ok to destroy months of good budget practice in favor of holiday spirit. Wrong. The answer is in building discipline and learning best practices for safe spending.

Last Minute Shopping
This urge relates to the procrastination in all of us. We want to put off today what we can do tomorrow. Unfortanately tomorrow means spending more money and losing time to find the best deals. If you’re planning on buying something online, then now is the time to do it, otherwise you may have to pay outrageous two day or one day shipping charges. It may already be too late for certain items.

Buying into Hype
Department stores want one thing this time of year — more sales. They’ll attempt to get those sales through circulars in the newspaper, emails to your inbox, and direct mailings showing you deep discounts to get you in the door. Once there you might find items have gone out of stock or a cheaper model can’t be found, but the more expensive upgrade one can. Be level-headed and know your limits.

How to Stay within Budget and Fight the Urge to Splurge
Be realistic and grounded when going Christmas shopping. If you have a dollar amount you can spend on each individual you’re buying for, then write it down. You might also benefit from brainstorming ideas for their gift ahead of time to see if it falls within the budget. It’s best to find a gift that fits the budget rather than finding a budget that fits a gift. We can’t all dole out thousands for a new Lexus.

We can also have a partner in shopping — particularly one who will hold us accountable to our budget, not someone who will easily shirk it off in favor of a fantastic gift. The holidays are about giving, but don’t give yourself too much of a headache for the new year. Wouldn’t it be great to start off without too much debt?

The urge most see is to spend money we don’t have. If that’s a problem, take some steps to thwart that problem. It’ll be a brighter holiday for it.