This week is Rekindle Romance week, a time to really show your other half just how much you care. Valentines Day was 6 months ago, but who says that romance should be confined to February? Wining and dining your other half or buying them a nice treat can be very expensive, so how do you get that spark back without breaking the bank? Moneysupermarket.com has put this guide together to show you how to woo your partner without upsetting your wallet…

Romantic Meal Out

Get your glad rags on and go for a slap up meal. We realise that this is an expensive concept, but eating out doesn’t have to be expensive anymore. The recession has seen the vouchers market grow by 50% year on year, meaning that more restaurants are seeing the value in offering discounts. Before you choose where to eat do a quick search on moneysupermarket’s vouchers page for restaurant vouchers. Whether you’re eating out at a national chain restaurant or a smaller independent there will be sure to be some kind of discount you can get off your total bill. Whether it is 2 for 1 on main courses, a free bottle of wine or a percentage discount off the whole bill, you can still save a considerable amount. And the best thing is you don’t have to tell your partner- just discreetly hand the voucher to the waiter/waitress- they’ll never know!

Romantic Meal In

Why not show off your cooking skills and eat in? This will show that you’ve put a lot of effort in to rekindling your romance and it can be very cheap if you shop at the right places for your ingredients. Go to your local butchers and ask for the best cuts of meat. Butchers near enough always offer local and fresh produce and it’s very likely to be cheaper than shopping in a supermarket. There is no packaging apart from a bag to take it home in and you can order as much or as little as you want, therefore eliminating waste- and the extra expense. Other independent shops, like fruit and veg, cheese, wine and flower shops are likely to stock things that you won’t find in the supermarkets, meaning you can add a sense of occasion to your home-cooked meal.

Romantic Walk

Choose a day/night when the great British weather won’t get the better of you, and head off out for a walk. Choose a route with great scenery that won’t be too busy and just enjoy each others company. To make it a little more special, take a picnic with you and choose a nice spot to just sit and relax. This is a great, free activity which can be as romantic as you like.

Romantic Gestures

Do something that you wouldn’t usually do and catch your other half off guard. Send some flowers to the office, run them a bath and light some candles, or even offer to run them some errands. The smaller things can be the most romantic as well as the cheapest, so take full advantage of them and enjoy surprising your special someone.

Romantic Weekend Away

A weekend away need not be overly expensive. You can get some fantastic offers on hotels in the UK which you can drive to or get relatively cheap train or coach travel for. You don’t need to spend a packet on fancy excursions or meals out- just getting away from everyday life can be romantic. Remember to go armed with vouchers for the surrounding area and do a little research about the surrounding areas first so you know what there is to see and how much it will cost you. You could even just opt to go for a day out. Choose somewhere that you visited when you first started dating to bring back some happy memories, or go somewhere new where you can create new ones.

A romantic money saving article, written by Rachael Miller at moneysupermarket.com

Active dates are those that involve outdoors and adventures. Holiday dates are going someplace with your partner. Other types include cheap dates, dream dates, social dates, travel dates and private dates. No matter which type you have chosen, there are a few options to each of the type.

The simplest idea is to go out for a nice dinner and a movie afterwards. If this is too classical for you, there are a number of ideas for your date. Go for a hand-in-hand walk. Drive to a beach in the evening, walk hand-in-hand along the beach and enjoy the sunset. You can think of other places where you can spend valuable time with your date. Another one is pack up for a small picnic and spend some quality romantic times together.

If there are ponds or lakes nearby, drive there and rent a boat. There are only the two of you on the boat in the middle of the lake without disturbances from other people. This is a good way to spend time with each other only. After the boat ride, you can take your date to a floating restaurant for a nice romantic dinner. If you can afford more expensive boat rides, there are boats available for sight-seeing and they provide meals on board.

It is usually not what you do that matters, but who you are with that matters the most. Find out what are the interests of your date and give her a surprise date. For example if she loves dancing, go to dancing classes with her. If both of you are already good with dancing, take her out to places where both of you can dance, such as restaurants.

Another way is to stay at home. Rent some romantic or comedy movies and order take-away food. Snuggle together on the couch and enjoy the evening together. If the two of you enjoy a bit of cooking, go to the supermarket together to buy things and cook your own dinner. If there are no nice movies available, grab some CDs and listen to the music together.

During the weekend, plan for some getaways once in a while. There is no need to go someplace too far or expensive. An overnight camping is one way of spending quality time together with your date in the presence of nature.

A romantic date does not need to be an expensive one. The most important thing is that the two of you will enjoy the date and have a good time together. It is the feeling that matters. Romantic dates are more meaningful when both of you are having a good time together doing the things that both of you enjoy.

One of the food that you can try is bananas. Bananas are full of magnesium, potassium and vitamins B. Apart for that, bananas also contains bromeliad enzyme and chelating minerals which are believed to enhance the male libido. Avocado is said to boost immune system and contains lots of folic acid, potassium and vitamin B6. From its shape and growth on the tree, the Aztecs called avocados trees as testicle trees.

Asparagus is another aphrodisiac food. It is rich in fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, folic acid and potassium. Folic acid is said to boost histamine production which is required in reaching orgasms in both partners. Like the asparagus, the oysters have also long been associated with increasing sexual desire. They are believed to be aphrodisiac due to their high zinc content which helps to increase libido and to produce sperm.

In the past, scribes and poets believed that the aroma of almond arouses passion in females and almonds were seen as fertility symbols. In the modern days, scientists found out that almonds contain lots of magnesium, fiber and vitamin E.

Basil has been used to improve the taste and smell of food, but has anyone ever thought that this is an aphrodisiac food before? The aroma that basil gives is thought to have an aphrodisiac effect on the human body and is stimulating. This plant is usually used in pasta sauce.

Another food is the chocolate. Pure chocolate is the king of natural aphrodisiacs and contains anandamine and phenylethylamine. Anandamine is a chemical which makes us feel good and phemylethylamine releases dopamine and peaks during orgasms. The latter is said to enhance feelings of attractions, excitement and euphoria. The source of chocolate, the cacao contains tryptophan, which is an important element of the neurotransmitter serotonin for promotion of relaxation and a sense of well-being.

Garlic is well-known for its antibacterial effect and its smell. Before you start to decide that this is definitely out of your menu, look at the benefits. Garlic is rich of allicin which increases the blood flow. Figs have been thought to have the ability to stimulate arousal. The ancient Greeks associate figs with love and fertility and they were believed to be Cleopatra’s favourite food.

Honey is another aphrodisiac food. It is a great source for boron. Boron is a trace mineral that helps the body to metabolize estrogen, which is the female sex hormone. In males and females, studies have shown that it may enhance levels of testosterone in the blood thus promoting sex drive and orgasms. Honey also contains B vitamins which are prerequisites for testosterone, nutrients, phytochemicals and enzymes needed for the body.

Food is not only for survival or for your taste buds. They can help in the bedroom too! Try these tips today!

Nonetheless, majority of people these days seem to believe that opposites do attract; but why? It could be the very fact that people want to connect to someone who has different abilities from one self. By now, if you did not believe that opposites attract, you may be starting to agree. Though, do not get to far ahead of yourself! In reality, more and more people are finding that relationships with opposites are asking for a quick and bad break up.
Opposites may attract at first, but in the long run will usually have each other “running up the wall” in the long run. As tempting as it may be at first, think of the long run. Relationships are meant to be long lasting, and if you feel like it is only a sudden attraction to an “opposite”, you are probably right.
Nonetheless, we all know how hard it can be to find someone who is similar to us. While our world becomes more diverse, it becomes even harder to find someone who is very much like you. Nonetheless, it has been shown that relationships between those with similar race, personality, and so on are much more successful. Though, these factors should not alter ones decision of being with one they love. Love is love, and if you feel like you have found it, do not lose it.

Why is it so difficult to have a relationship with an opposite? Because the two individuals will often require different things, and will have to work together to come upon agreement. This is difficult because opposites usually adapt to things differently. One may have a harder time adapting to a certain change, while the other will adapt easier. This will lead to a loss of stability in the relationship, and as we all know, that can never be a good thing. A relationship is meant to be stable, and those between opposites are usually not the most stable. Too put it simply, opposites do attract, but they usually do not succeed in their relationship. This does not mean that no opposites will ever succeed in their relationship. They very well may, but statistically, not very often.