Here's how to plan an amazing Valentine's Day dinner date for $100 or less

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and if you haven't budgeted for a fancy night out with dinner and drinks, there is still time to salvage the evening with a romantic night at home, filled with cooking and red wine.
If you're already feeling stressed about running around to a bunch of stores to get everything you need, here is how you can order it all delivered right to your door.
We've found all the ingredients for a delicious homemade steak dinner, a bottle of wine, and a fun activity to complete all available to be sent to you in time for Valentine's Day.
Best of all, it'll cost you less than $100.
Shopping for more Valentine's Day gifts? Check out all our gift guides here.

Whether you're in a long-term relationship, experiencing your first romantic holiday with a new partner, or even hanging with friends, planning Valentine's Day can be frustrating and expensive. Society expects you to put together a fancy outfit and splurge on an expensive dinner at a trendy eatery, all to prove to your Instagram followers that you're in a healthy and thriving relationship.

Reject that unnecessary paradigm this year by crafting a lovely night in with your Valentine. Don't worry, you can still do your humblebrag post on Instagram to make your ex jealous, it just won't cost you half of your week's paycheck.

There is nothing more romantic than working in the kitchen together as a unit, and if you follow these instructions, the end result will be much more satisfying than anything served at the local steakhouse. While there is some extra labor that goes into cooking at home, the benefits of staying in outweigh the additional effort.

Plus, you can down an entire bottle of wine and not have to worry about getting home. And the cherry on top of this lovely evening at home is that you can get everything you need to create a romantic evening for less than $100.

Here's how to plan an awesome Valentine's Day dinner at home for $100 or less:

Make a delicious dinner together with help from Amazon

Even if you are not a skilled home chef, you can still make a delicious Valentine's Day dinner and get everything you need online.

Since acquiring Whole Foods, Amazon's online food marketplace has become a great resource to conveniently shop for all your grocery needs. You can sign up for services like Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry, or just order from Amazon how you would normally. You need to be an Amazon Prime member to order Amazon Fresh products, but this membership also makes you eligible for special discounts on Whole Foods products.

My girlfriend and I (with her doing the cooking heavy lifting) have made the same Valentine's Day dinner the past few years, and it's become somewhat of a tradition. We use a couple online recipes to make a balsamic vinegar basted steak and dijon roasted potatoes, plus we add a healthy portion of red wine. The recipes are fairly easy to follow, so even an inexperienced chef should be able to execute it properly.

Here's everything you'll need to make our special Valentine's Day steak dinner for two:

Assuming you already have salt, pepper, olive oil and any other seasoning you like on your steak, this is everything you'll need to make a delicious Valentine's Day dinner at home, all delivered to you with the click of a button.

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Find the right bottle of wine to share from ReserveBar

I feel it is necessary to start this section with a disclaimer that I am not a sommelier. Let's just say that a large percentage of the wine I have consumed in my life has been poured from a cardboard box. However, if you are looking to order an entire Valentine's Day meal without leaving your home, I am confident in recommendingReserveBar as the place find the right bottle of wine online.

Because it is Valentine's Day,red wine seems like the appropriate choice, and there are a few bottles that you can select that will keep you under the $100 mark for the evening. Ordering from ReserveBar does require a shipping and service fee, so we'll put a cap of $20 on the bottle of wine to stay under the $100 mark. Within that price range, there are 21 different red wine options available on ReserveBar, like theKenwood Vineyards Sonoma Series Merlot bottle for $18 or the Teddy's Cabernet Sauvignonbottle for $17.

Once you have selected your bottle, make sure that you have the rightset of tools on hand to open itbefore finalizing your purchase.

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Piece together a 1,000-piece puzzle for screen-free fun

Streaming services like Hulu and Disney+ give you the ability to stay in and watch a new movie any night. Resist the temptation to stream your favorite Disney Channel original movie and make this night special by eliminating screens and participating in an activity together. I'd even suggest hiding your phones in a different room so that you and your partner are not tempted.

Because Valentine's Day is an inherently romantic holiday, this 1,000 piece puzzle of the beautiful Cinque Terre in Italy is a fun and challenging activity. Plus, once you finish, it will feel like you and your loved one have been transported to the coast of Italy.

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It all adds up to less than $100

If you've been doing the math along the way, you will find that not only have you crafted a lovely evening to share with your partner, but you've also saved money in the process.

You have purchased groceries from Amazon at a price of $47.63, which is about half the price of a fancy dinner out for two. With a $20 cap on the bottle of wine and the shipping and service charge adding up to $38.26, the total becomes $85.89. Finally, the puzzle is $13.99, squeezing your total cost just under $100 at $99.88.

Compared to a night out at a fancy restaurant, this is a great value for any couple looking to save money without sacrificing a lovely evening together.

Check out our Valentine's Day gift guides