Deals and date ideas around town for college students

It is once again that time of year, where love is in the air and money is flying out of wallets. A struggle every year for broke college students is how to save money on Valentine’s Day, but still be able to have fun.

Valentine’s Day is a day for couples to celebrate being together, and for single people to enjoy being alone. Whether you’re spending the day with a significant other, friends or with ice cream, there are many deals and date ideas around Fargo-Moorhead.

If you’re on a budget ($30 or less)

If you’re looking for more of a lunch date to spend time between busy schedules, you can head over to the Plains Art Museum to enjoy a chili bowl and concert. In celebration of Giving Hearts Day, the cost of admission is $15, which will be donated locally.

This event goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers a free custom ceramic bowl to take home with you from the event.

For some pre or post-dinner fun and romance, the Minnesota State University Moorhead Planetarium is offering a night under the stars for just $20 per couple. With showings every hour from 6 to 9 p.m., you can easily fit these breathtaking views into your date night schedule.

On a holiday where you’ll most likely be kissing your partner anyway, why not do it in front of a Qdoba employee for a buy one, get one free entree?  No coupon is required for this Valentine’s Day deal. Just grab your significant other, or close friend, and go get a free burrito.

If you’ve saved some money

If you want to enjoy a nice dinner in, but can’t cook or don’t want to mess with clean up, Olive Garden is offering a $35.99 takeout dinner for two. This deal comes with soup or salad, breadsticks, a shareable entree and dessert.

Not feeling a fancy dinner, but want to get your date a nice gift? At Kohl’s you can use the promo code SHINE20 to get 20 percent off fine and silver jewelry. If you’ve saved up some money and want to do something nice, this is a great option to save even more money.

If you’re spending the day alone

Being alone doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the deals around Fargo. You can grab some friends or go solo to make your day great.

A quick sign-up online is all it takes to get 20 percent off a Valentine’s Day dinner at Denny’s. Join their rewards program and enjoy this coupon for a cheap dinner with friends.

Another option is to use regular Thursday deals to have fun on this special day. Fargo’s Marcus Theatres offer Student Thursdays. Get $6 admission and a free 46-ounce popcorn to see a movie, just remember to bring your student ID.

Finally, a yearly favorite is to make it through Valentine’s Day for the unofficial best day of the year — discounted chocolates everywhere day. Feb. 15 and the following week, find yourself in any store to get great discounts on all the chocolates and stuffed animals that were too expensive the day before.