8 Budget-Friendly Galentine’s Day Ideas: Apartment-Friendly Themes and Outings

Galentine’s Day is such a fun day to celebrate whether you’re in a committed relationship or not! My girls, gays, and non-binary baes deserve to be celebrated and I’m so excited to pamper them a little bit this year! But hosting galentine’s day can sometimes feel overwhelming especially when you have limited space, tight budgets, and want to go out but don’t want to break the bank! So let’s brainstorm a list of fun, creative, and affordable Galentine’s Day ideas including ones for small spaces and alternative locations!

Without further adieu here are 8 budget-friendly Galentine’s Day ideas:  

Part 1. At-Home Themes for Apartment Hosting: 

DIY Spa Night – Pamper 4 people for less than $50

This is the perfect activity for a smaller group of friends! I know I see a lot of tiktoks where people are hanging out with a dozen or more people – that’s not realistic in my friend group. I’m more likely to have schedules align with 3 or 4 people and that suits me really nicely!

First, we are going to transform our space into a spa! Light a few candles or get a diffuser going, turn off your overhead lights, and put on a spa music playlist! If you don’t have any candles I do feel like it’s worth a trip to the dollar store to pick up a few for the ambiance!

Budget tips – tea candles pack a huge punch and are cheaper than full size ones, make a DIY scrub, and use spa products you already have like nail polish!

Activities –  There are a few activities I love for a spa night! A little bit we’re going high school pajama party.

1. 1. First of all sheet masks – these are my personal favorites and a pack of 4 is only $20. If that’s not your vibe LUSH has fresh face masks for around $15 and one pot can easily be used by all 4 people (just choose one that’s more about pampering and less about skin care – mask of magnaminty and bb seaweed would be my suggestions personally)
   2. Paint each others nails – excellent choice cause I’m willing to bet someone in your friend group already has way too much nail polish.
   3. Guided meditation – I like the Calm app and they have a free trial and some free content to start with!

 

Movie Marathon Pajama Party

This one is a fun one because there is practically no cost involved. I bet you already have a streaming subscription with some romcoms on it!

Budget tip – ask your friends to bring their own fuzzy socks and blankets so everyone has a cozy vibe! And then you can set up a DIY popcorn bar 

Activity – DIY Popcorn bar and Printable movie bingo cards! If you sign up for my email list here you can download printable movie bingo cards!

Charcuterie and Crafts

I am a sucker for a charcuterie board and over the years I’ve learned how to make really beautiful boards that don’t break the bank

 

Ingredients for a savory board: 

First caveat – I tend to stick with things I know will be popular – how many times have you seen a charcuterie picked over at an event with just the “fancy” stuff left? For me it’s a lot!

• Lunch Meat – I like turkey because it’s really versatile
• Cheese – I like Boursin because it’s not too expensive, is creamy and spreadable, and I’ve never heard anyone say they don’t like Boursin
• Second Cheese – I like mozzarella balls because they’re easy to eat, not too expensive, and again everyone likes it! But you can do whatever kind of cheese you want!
• Crackers – any kind you like
• Fruit – my first choice is cuties because they can be pulled into pieces to fill the board and add color!

Ingredients for a Sweet Treat board: 

• Cookies
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• Regular Pretzels
• Apples
• Strawberries

Activities: A craft night making friendship bracelets. I would like to thank Taylor Swift for bringing friendship bracelets into the main stream because now you can get lots of friendship bracelet making kits. This one has SO MUCH more than you’d think and is only $20 – I love a kit because it is just truly great value! You can also make heart shaped paper chains to decorate your own homes! Honestly one of my favorite diys I’ve ever done!

 

Galentine’s Bake-Off

I’m obsessed with this idea! Everyone bakes their favorite dessert and then brings it pot luck style and you vote for them! These are the categories I would use!

• Most Creative Presentation
• Best Flavor Combination
• Most Pinterest-Worthy
• Best Valentine’s Day-Inspired Dessert
• Most Unexpected Ingredient
• Best DIY Decorating
• Most Likely to Be on a Dessert Menu

 

Outdoor Alternatives That Aren’t Restaurants

Sometimes you don’t want to stay in, but you also don’t want to go to a restaurant! These are my ideas for Galentine’s day that are outdoors!

1. Picnic in the Park
   
   I just love a cute and casual outdoor gathering! You can bring a picnic blanket, portable speaker, and a craft kit for an extra good time! Everyone can bring their own finger foods and drinks or the host can cater! Either way it can be done for less than brunch out!
2. DIY Photo Scavenger Hunt I especially love anything that gets you out and exploring your city or neighborhood, and this is great for a larger group because you can make a bigger list of fun photo challenges. Use free printable scavenger lists for inspiration. If you sign up for my email list here I have one for you! And give a prize for the most creative photos!
3. Thrift Shopping AdventureI did thriftmas this past year and thought it was a huge success, so I feel like a thrift shop adventure could be something really fun to do where everyone is trying to find a new-to-them treasure for someone else in the group or to do a white elephant gift exchange with! It just seems really cute to me!

I hope that you try one of these activities for Galentine’s Day, and if you do I would LOVE to see it! My instagram is @samlynnbrooks_ please tag me in your fun! Regardless of your space or your budget you should still take time to celebrate friendship and love!