By Vanessa Formato

My boyfriend and I recently celebrated our second anniversary. Originally, we had some pretty nice plans for the big day, but it all got thwarted when we discovered we were in possession of a collective $150 between our two checking accounts ~ ouch. We decided to be responsible adults and cancel our plans for the sake of saving cash. It got us thinking, though, about how to celebrate an anniversary without breaking the bank.

Make the Gifts

Some of my favorite ideas? Make a mix CD with all the music that makes you think of him or her, with “your song” ~ if you have one ~ as the final track, of course. Make a scrapbook out of all those Facebook photos, movie ticket stubs, loving doodles, and dried flower petals from that Valentine’s Day bouquet. Decorate a small box and fill it with scraps of paper detailing all the little things you think are so wonderful about your significant other. Put together a comic book depicting his or her proposal to go steady. Pretend you’re a wee little child again and make a bracelet, necklace, or ring out of beads and stretchy string. As long as you put thought into it, your boyfriend or girlfriend is bound to love it, and you’ll love the minimal damage done to your wallet. If you’re not into making gifts, agree to a strict budget. As long as you both stick to the rules, $15 won’t feel cheap.

Research and Development

Decide ahead of time what you’d like to do, and then find out how much the special day will cost. Make phone calls and look at websites so you know exactly what you’re getting into. You may have heard of a play on Saturday night that’s “really cheap,” but you don’t want to find out at the ticket booth that it’s actually way over your budget or that you needed your student ID to get in for a reduced price.

Remember: Your Student ID is Your Friend

On that note, your student ID can be a godsend when it comes to saving cash. For instance, back at home, I can go see a movie for $7 if I bring my school ID, versus the $10.50 it would run me without. Many plays and musicals have discounted “student rush” tickets, but they’re usually limited in number and you have to buy them at a certain time; you won’t know the details if you don’t seek them out. If you live in a city like Worcester with an abundance of colleges, you might be able to get into events like dances and concerts at other schools as long as you have your student ID with you. Also, a lot of museums have student discounts, so for a relatively low price, you can get an entire day’s worth of activities.

Go Dutch

Splitting the cost of a date is often a huge relief, and going Dutch may even make a trip to somewhere pretty swanky pretty doable. For instance, my boyfriend and I love having dinner at Haiku, and when we’re there the bill is usually around $50: that’s one pricey meal for young people who don’t have “real” jobs. It’s a much more enjoyable evening when we split the bill, since neither of us has to feel guilty that the other is spending half a day’s pay on sushi.

Start a Special Occasion Savings Account

Why not? If everything’s on the up-and-up and this doesn’t seem like too big of a commitment, go to a bank you can both agree on ~ preferably one with a lot of ATMs in your area, to avoid withdrawal fees ~ and start a joint savings account just for fun. It only takes a few minutes to set one up, and you don’t even have to start with very much cash in it: my bank requires a minimum balance of $5. Make a habit of each of you depositing into the account whenever you have cash to spare and watch it grow into something big and wonderful. I mean, let’s say every week for one year, you each put in $5 per week. Now we do the math and…. voila! $520! How easy is that? And if you don’t have a job during the school year, you can just put a little more away each week when you’re on break, or consider that the same $5 each during four months of summer vacation would make for a cool $160. More than enough for dinner and a movie, am I right?

Work With What You Have

Say you have a nice new camera and plenty of free time. How about a photo scavenger hunt? Got a video game console? What about a [insert your favorite two-player game here] marathon ~ you could even start a new file and try to beat it in one sitting. Have the box set of your favorite TV show or movie series? Microwave some popcorn, procure some sugary treats, snuggle up together in your warmest blankets and watch from beginning to end. You met through a friend in a game of Monopoly? Borrow it if you don’t have it and recreate that first encounter ~ you know that game can keep you busy all day. Got a bed? Well, you see where I’m going with that! You already have plenty to do if you take the time to really assess what you already have. I know you may have watched “Family Guy” together a billion-and-one times, but if you set it up as something extra special, it will be.

Forget What “Everyone Else” Does for Their Anniversary

If your best friend and his girlfriend went hot air ballooning over the Grand Canyon, who cares? I mean, that’s pretty cool, but it’s not you. You might feel jealous over what the people you know have done to celebrate, but you have to remember that everyone is dealing with different circumstances: maybe they dug into their savings, or got some free tickets, or asked their parents for a little extra cash for the occasion. That’s all well and good, and I’m not knocking people who want to make something extravagant happen, but it’s definitely not necessary ~ especially if you’re doing it just to keep up with the Joneses.