The news cycle on Valentine’s day is too often domi­nated by tips and tricks on how to woo dates. The best treats for your bae, and a fool­proof way to ask some­one out. But not every­one lives like that! What about the single folk? Known for sitting around, feel­ing sad and wish­ing they had a date, these people wish they had some­thing to do. Here’s some ideas.

As Donna Meagle always said in the hit TV series Parks and Recre­ation, Treat yo’self! Doing things for your­self is a great way to feel better. Don’t just do “self-care” for the sake of self-care, though! Do some­thing you’ve wanted to do for a long time. Go out and get some ice cream. Maybe find a movie that’ll make you emotional, whether it’s crying, laugh­ing, or both! 

If you can’t think of anything to do, here is a great list of afford­able options that won’t waste your time.

Things to do

1. Hang out with a friend.

            It may sound a little simple, but it doesn’t have to be a formal thing! Go out and eat some­thing together, or watch a movie! No Galentine’s brunch or elab­o­rate presents needed.

       2. Go to the library

            Even if you might not read much outside of school, find­ing a book that inter­ests you can make all the differ­ence. You don’t have to pick a book made by some guy that died 300 years ago, but if that’s your jam then go ahead!

       3. Go to a local ice cream shop or other sweets store

            Ice cream shops like Lil’ City Cream­ery in Falls Church often have seat­ing around them and on benches nearby. Other options include Jake’s Ice Cream in Barcroft Plaza and vari­ous Sweet­Frog loca­tions nearby. Sweet­Frog has dairy-free options.

       4. Listen to a great true crime podcast

            Well, if there are two things besides food and books that can pull people in, they’re true crime and inves­tiga­tive jour­nal­ism. “Reply All” from Gimlet Media and the first season of “Slow Burn” by Slate are both great shows that do deep dives, but they’re hardly the only ones in the space.

Things to get

1. Any choco­late box you can eat on your own

            If any of the above don’t pan out, get your­self what­ever size of choco­late box you’d like to have and go to town! You can find a surpris­ing amount of options at your local grocery store, and perhaps a nearby coffee shop or choco­latier if you’d like some­thing more premium.

      2. Deco­ra­tions for your room or house

            Hey, the Valentine’s Day bedroom glow-up is real, and it isn’t exclu­sive to people who have some­one coming over. A great way to spend some alone time in your room is to clean it up and make it look pretty, maybe by buying a lamp at Target or simi­lar. It’s so much easier than people real­ize to find things and be happy at home with a clean room.

       3. A Verdict Valentine’s Day hoodie or crewneck

            Every­one who wears ‘em loves ‘em! The Verdict’s clas­sic hood­ies and crew­necks have had their colors coated, color-blasted and enhanced with the power of platonic love for our Valentine’s Day special. Buy one start­ing at $36.99 for you, your bestie, or your parents.