My budget Valentine

There are three factors against many would-be Valentine’s Day celebrants this year: a stormy weather forecast, a gloomy economy and the ever-present issue of where to get reservations.

Here’s a guide to an effortless, yet memorable, staycation at home for less than $50, which even includes a dazzling day out as a rain check to your date.

Consider all five senses when preparing for a staycation weekend.

SIGHT

Clear all clutter out of the rooms that will be used, keeping only what is necessary for that room’s original function (a metal filing cabinet isn’t the most romantic thing to have next to the bed, for example). Think hotel room, not storage room. Use an old tablecloth if needed to cover stacks of books or papers. Go “shopping” through your own possessions, moving knick-knacks around (or removing them entirely), to create a new look. For entertainment on the cheap, to watch many of the latest television shows and movies without a cable box or satellite dish, check out hulu.com.

Cost: Free

SOUND

This is where you get to craft your intended mood again. Check out sites like pandora.com, which let you enter in your favorite bands and genres; the site will give you a customized radio station to listen to, based on your favorites.

Cost: Free

SMELL

Use a candle, reed diffuser or room spray to give the area a scent evocative of what you want the staycation to symbolize, from refreshing to exotic. Check out the 99-Cents Only Stores for myriad options.

Cost: 99 cents

TASTE

Foodies will rejoice in the number of special deals at local grocery stores on pre-prepared foods. Pick up a bag of brand-name, romaine salad, chocolate and strawberries or candies at the 99-Cents Only Stores for (you got it) 99 cents each. Then add a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, and bargain veggies from any grocery store, and head over to Trader Joe’s for some Two Buck Chuck. While at Trader’s, pick up the chocolate cloud cake, which has layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream and ganache for only $4.99. Allow the wine to decant outside the bottle before serving, and see if your date’s any the wiser for it. Melt the chocolate over a pan of boiling water and dip the strawberries in it. Serve on a beautiful plate in a candlelit room. Voila: three courses for roughly $8 per person.

Cost: About $16

TOUCH

New, soft sheets or pillows in contemporary colors can liven up a space and add much-needed texture. Check out local Ross stores for bargain-basement prices on merchandise formerly sold at now-defunct Linens ‘n Things. Products include comforters, sheets, throws and curtains, at prices lower than were available during the store’s liquidation.

Cost: $20 for a queen-sized sheet set

BONUS

Imagining strolling among priceless, 3,000-year-old Greek and Roman statues, on bucolic, impeccably manicured grounds — for free. Well, almost. The Getty Villa, just south of Malibu, is known for having one of the most unparalleled collections of classical antiquities on the West Coast, and admission is complimentary; all you’ll pay is $10 per car for parking. But would-be aesthetes must visit the getty.edu site to reserve admission in advance. Choose a mutually available weekend for both of you, and sign up for the admission tickets to give as a surprise on Saturday night.

Cost: $10 parking fee, plus gas