How to Have a Safe and Budget-Friendly Anniversary During a Pandemic

Anniversaries are special events, and they’re always worth celebrating. However, sometimes life gets in the way, and we’re not just talking about a busy work week or wrangling kids, either. The year 2020 has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying quarantines and shelter-in-place orders that it brought along with it.

If your anniversary plans have been disrupted by a literal state of emergency, that doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel and start planning for a bigger celebration next year. On the contrary, here are a few suggestions for different ways that you can celebrate your special occasion both safely and without breaking the bank in the process.

Start by Conducting a Self-Care Check-In

If you’re lacking anniversary inspiration, you and your partner can start by conducting a self-care check-in. Regularly practicing self-care is already an essential activity throughout quarantine, and it can be a useful tool when it comes to planning an anniversary to boot.

You can start the process by checking in with your mind, body, and spirit. What do you lacking right now? Are you tired and sore, stressed, in need of some good laughs? This is a great way to brainstorm anniversary activities.

Next, Size Up Your Budget

It’s always important to know your budget before you start making plans. This year is a unique year to plan an anniversary, as it has created a variety of financial situations. For some, unemployment and a stimulus check have barely kept them afloat while for others steady remote work has left them with some wiggle room.

Before you start spending money on your anniversary, take some time to review your budget. Make sure you’re saving properly, your personal or family expenses are taken care of, and you’re not spending any money that should be allocated elsewhere. Once you’re aware of how much money you have to work with, you can start planning the anniversary itself.

Dine-In in Style

Food is a central element of most anniversary celebrations. While you may not be able to physically visit your favorite restaurant, you may be able to order curbside pickup or even have your food delivered via a service like Grubhub or Uber Eats.

Even if food delivery is off the table, there are still many gourmet food options that you can prepare right in your own home kitchen. The best part is, something delicious like apple balsamic pork chops, garlic lemon shrimp, or teriyaki chicken thighs and rice can all be prepared for under $10, keeping the meal affordable and fancy at the same time.

Recreate Experiences at Home

You may not be able to plan an outing for your anniversary, but with a little forethought, you can recreate the fun right in your own home. For instance, you can:

• Host an epic movie night by building a comfy couch setup and purchasing gourmet snacks.
• Mimic a night spent out on the town dancing by clearing a dance floor in your living room and cranking up the tunes.
• Create a home-spa experience and then give each other massages.

Go to Quarantine-Friendly Locations

Along with doing things at home, there are many quarantine friendly options that can take place outside of your home. For instance, you can:

• Go for a hike.
• Take a walk at the beach.
• Go camping.

All of these are fun, but they require driving to different locations. With traffic patterns and driver behavior thrown off due to the pandemic — not to mention the fact that you may be a bit rusty after months of minimal driving, make sure to observe defensive driving techniques as you travel.

Spending Quality Time Together

Whatever you ultimately decide to do, the important thing is that you spend quality time together. That means phones are off, attention is being focused, and an effort is being made.

If these conditions are met, it doesn’t really matter what specific activity you’re doing. What matters is that you’re taking a break from all of the social distance communication with others in order to draw close to those that matter most in an attitude of love, friendship, and togetherness.

Image Source: Pexels

About Beau Peters