Here are 7 ways you can spend Valentines day on an NSS budget

By mid-February, the signs are everywhere. Red balloons tied to shop doors. Chocolate stacked neatly in supermarket aisles. Restaurants advertising candle-light dinners. Instagram flooded with surprise gifts, hotel dates, and matching outfits.

Valentine’s Day has a way of making love look expensive. But for thousands of young graduates serving under Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS), reality tells a different story. The monthly allowance is GHS 715. From that same money must come transport, rent, food, airtime, emergencies, and everything in between.

READ ALSO: Government survey shows high levels of drug exposure in schools and colleges

So when February 14 approaches, many service personnel quietly ask themselves: How do I celebrate love when my wallet says “please behave”?Yet, hidden inside that constraint is a beautiful lesson: when money is limited, meaning becomes deeper. You learn to celebrate differently, not louder, not flashier, just more intentionally.

Here’s what Valentine’s Day can look like.

Being single doesn’t mean staying indoors. It means freedom. You can go anywhere. Anytime. Imagine taking yourself to the beach at Labadi or Kokrobite. Sitting quietly, watching the waves roll in. Feeling the breeze on your skin.

Or walking through Aburi Gardens, surrounded by green trees and fresh air. Or buying one small ice cream and strolling through town with your earphones on, your favorite songs playing. Learning to enjoy your own company is a powerful kind of love, one that lasts longer than any relationship.

Restaurants are beautiful until the bill arrives. GHS 200 for one meal can swallow nearly a week’s feeding budget for an NSP.But cooking? Cooking tells a different story. Let’s say you stop by the market. You buy rice, a few vegetables, some chicken, maybe shito and a small pack of juice.

Everything costs less than GHS 40 or 50. Back home, music plays softly from your phone. You invite a friend, family and loved ones over, either way, you sit down with a plate you made with your own hands. It definitely tastes better because it’s personal because effort was involved. A homemade meal often warms the heart more than any fancy restaurant ever could.

READ ALSO: Referee Daniel Laryea appointed to officiate Kotoko-Hearts showdown

Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be emotional, it can be practical love too. Sit down together and talk about your goals after service. What jobs are you applying for? Do you want to start a business? Travel? Pursue further studies? Draw up rough plans.

Share fears. Encourage each other. For two young people building their lives in Ghana’s economy, partnership often means planning wisely together. That kind of conversation strengthens relationships more than selfies ever will.

Many churches and fellowships organize Valentine-themed programs, including worship nights, relationship talks, drama performances, or games, usually free or very affordable. Instead of clubbing or expensive events, attend one of these gatherings. The atmosphere is often joyful, wholesome and community-centered. You leave feeling uplifted rather than financially stressed.

Forget expensive hampers. Buy a small notebook from a stationery shop and turn it into a personalized memory book. Write letters inside. List things you appreciate about the person. Add printed photos if you can. Include small doodles or future plans.

In Ghana, where financial resources may be limited during service, intentional effort often means more than price tags. Years later, that handwritten book will still exist. The chocolate won’t.

You don’t need a high-end restaurant to enjoy Valentine’s Day food. Visit your favorite waakye seller. Buy kelewele at night. Get roasted plantain and groundnuts. Support the woman who sells fried rice by the roadside.

Find a quiet place to sit and eat together, maybe a park bench or even outside your compound. It feels real. It feels local. And you’re supporting someone’s small business instead of overspending at a place that doubled prices for the day.

Challenge yourself and your partner or friends to spend absolutely nothing on Valentine’s Day. Cook with what’s already at home. Walk instead of taking transport if distances are short. Use free Wi-Fi spots for a movie. Sit outside and talk. Turn it into a game: who can be more creative without spending a cedi? You’ll be surprised how much joy can exist without transactions.

Serving under the National Service Scheme often means living carefully and budgeting strictly. But Valentine’s Day does not have to become a financial burden. In Ghana, beauty lives in simple things, sunsets, street food, conversation, faith, culture and community. Love does not need to be loud to be meaningful. It just needs to be intentional.