Ah, the teeth-gnashing angst of being single when it seems as if everyone around you is coupled up on Valentine’s Day. Considering how hard it can be to meet people with similar interests, it’s tempting to make a date with the couch, the remote and a pint of soy ice cream.

But singles in one British town will have a reason to get out and gab with their fellow bachelors and bachelorettes on Valentine’s Day – in nature, no less, planting trees in an underprivileged community.

A program called Trees for Cities is holding a tree-planting speed-dating charity event at Sunnybrow Park in Manchester, recruiting single volunteers to spend a Sunday wielding shovels and gardening as they plant 3,000 new trees and maybe even meet someone special in the process.

Not only will the speed-dating singles be providing a haven for wildlife and increasing biodiversity in the park, they’ll be adding to the health and vitality of city residents by providing a beautiful, relaxing green space.

Even if they don’t make a match, the day won’t be a total wash. Participants will be helping out the environment and a community in need. Isn’t that a greater gift than sweets and jewelry? Tree therapy for singles on V-Day – perhaps it will catch on.

Image: Alex Indigo

In light of the recent survey finding many of us secure a better night’s sleep in separate cocoons, it might pay to return to the days of twins. You know, lie back and watch a show, roll over for fun, head home to your crib for a snooze so you can get up for work. Just like dating!

Think of the fun of sneaking into the resting chamber of your better half for a “hello stranger” kinda session, while saving all kinds of bucks on the bedding ’cause twin sets are so much cheaper than kings.

Many hotels in Europe feature twins with headboards pushed together to form one chic unit, dressing them in matching finery. I’ve slept best in a twin since summer camp and think in some ways, we were meant to have a compact cot with a narrow margin to feel safe and secure as we garner our much needed zzz’s.

So what are the most stylish ways to produce twins in your own home? Probably the best source for a cool pair is vintage. If you’re more contemporary, you can always customize upholstered headboards or beds with eco fabrics. But that’s another story!

Subtle Vintage Pairings

ebay is undoubtedly the wealthiest source for matching twins, such as these woven Scandinavian beauties from Antique Bedrooms with tapered, capped legs. $1500.

I’m a total sucker for caned furniture, and in fact picked up a set of beds for my daughters at auction when they were small. These precious French guys were harvested by French Finds.

Man, you could have fun with these circa 1970s rattan vintage twin headboards with a decorative diamond insert. Order good green mattresses on frames sans the chemicals and geometric organic bedding. From Objects in the Loft at 1st Dibs.

Pair of curvaceous, French Oak Louis twins, $990 at Abba Antiques.

Main Image: Posh Living

Image one: Rhymehatcher

Image Two: Coco+Kelley

What? You want more already? If 20 Things To Do Without Spending A Dime just wasn’t enough, and you’ve worn our Economy-Conscious Dating Guide thin (nice work!), check out these tips. I’ve racked my brain for even more things you can do without money, because even in penny-pinching times, you deserve to have fun. So grab this handy guide, alone or on a date, and do something free!

Photograph your meals. Find out just how appetizing (or not) your food really is. You can do two things with this: lose weight or make art.

Whistle at the birds. Nothing chauvinistic about this. I mean whistle at real birds, when you’re at the park or taking a walk in the woods. Learn to imitate the birdcalls and see if you can get them to talk back to you. Extra points if you do this on a date. Totally cool.

Strip poker. Need I say more?

Make a time capsule. Gather a few small trinkets and mementos related to your current life and write a some lines about what you’re doing now and where you aspire to be in the near future. Put everything in a glass jar and bury it in the yard (or in the back of your closet). Now mark your calendar to dig out this treasure in a year.

Be a photographer. Even if you don’t think you have the skills, act as if! Every trip to the laundromat or the market can become a chance to scour the seemingly mundane landscape for little bits of beauty. With the ease and instant viewing of digital photography, what have you got to lose?

Visit a friend. Pretty simple. Chatting over tea in the living room costs nothing and nourishes your soul.

Write a letter. Remember snail mail? I hope you haven’t lost the art. Track down someone’s mailing address, and use colored pens on funky stationary to write the most wonderful letter you can imagine. Delight in their surprise at receiving your artistic love on paper.

Start a blog. About anything! The more specific to your life, the better. Whatever you do the most is what you can share the best with the world. Blogs are not irrelevant, as some people might have you think. Recent world events have shown that social media matters. From now on, we are the media.

Go for a full moon walk.

Write secret love notes and plant them in your honey’s medicine cabinet, underwear drawer, pillowcase, tote. If you’re single, write “secret admirer” notes and hide them around the office so everybody thinks they’re the recipient of a sweet crush. Just make sure you don’t get caught!

Pick an assignment from Learning to Love You More.

Sit on a park bench and feed the birds. This is what I call kickin’ it old school. Extra points for cloud gazing. Extra extra points if you do this on a date.

Learn exotic phrases in your favorite foreign language (the library, my favorite free place, is the best resource for language books and CDs). Tape the phrases up around your house and learn them well enough to pepper them into daily conversation. Impress your friends, and better yet, impress yourself!

Re-imagine reality with a friend. Simply pick a place you’re not too thrilled with and verbalize what you’d prefer. “If I were Queen of the World, I’d take that noisy intersection, tear up the pavement, use the chunks to build raised garden beds and plant my favorite vegetables. Let the drivers get out and walk.” Kids are great at this kind of thing; let’s take a hint. Besides, we can’t recreate our world if we can’t dream it up first.

Perform random acts of kindness around your neighborhood. Weed your neighbor’s garden on the sly, or pick up some trash. Leave an anonymous bouquet of flowers for the new mom across the street, or a small bag of groceries for the elderly lady whose husband recently died. This is a great idea for a date as it’s a good indicator of the merit and integrity of your love interest.

If you live anywhere with sand, build a sand castle.

Volunteer to walk dogs at the Humane Society. A happy dog provides instant gratification and it’s a fun thing to do with your sweetie on a beautiful day.

Swing in a hammock. Do nothing else. No reading, no texting, no tweets on the iPhone. Just swing and look up at the branches, the birds, the clouds. Continue for at least one hour. Bliss, at no cost!

Write poetry. Good poetry. You are not too cool for poetry, I promise, plus it’s not as easy as you think. Use the wild freedom of ee cummings for inspiration and do the English language (or any favorite language) proud.

And of course, finally – and it bears repeating – give someone a hug!

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The dating scene is not an easy one. There are the usual quandaries – dinner or just drinks; sleep over or the token kiss on the cheek? Add to those basic issues the meltdown of all things economy-related, and the idea of going on a date might send even the most romantic Romeo & Juliet running for the hills, or a monastery.

Never fear, your resident cupid is here. And it isn’t my first time playing the part, I might add. I’ve encouraged you to have more sex (safely, please), taught you tips for lassoing yourself a green goddess girlfriend and researched how to eco your “toys”.

But since everyone’s handbag is hurting of late and doling out more dough for a date isn’t easy, why not try some simple serenading? Indoors or out, it’s easier than you’d expect to find fun for free. Here are a few suggestions:

Play board games. Add “strip” to the name if you’re feeling frisky.

Pick up a free weekly (i.e. LA Weekly) and peruse it for outdoor concerts. Free music is good for the soul and your solvency.

Volunteer at a pet rescue. The best filter for a good guy or gal is whether they play well with animals.

Visit a gallery and immerse yourselves in art for an afternoon.

Walk“¦without a destination. Just walk somewhere, anywhere; then turn around and walk back. Also a good excuse to hold hands.

Window shop. Tiffany & Co. is as good a place as any to get the juices flowing. Or maybe it’s just me that salivates at the sight of sparkly, shiny things.

Take a hike, but hike to the hike rather than drive, if possible. (Yes, hiking is somewhat similar to walking but give me a break, I’m making a long list here).

Skinny dip. What’s more freeing than a swim in your birthday suit?

People watch. There really isn’t an easier or more amusing activity, and it can happen anywhere at any time.

Stargaze. This one happens at night, in the dark, of course.

Go swinging. No, not that kind of swinging! I’m referring to the playground type of swing. Slides are fun too.

Read a book or magazine. Add cuddle and couch for the perfect recipe.

Play a sport. Any sport with a ball of some sort will do, like soccer, football, basketball or volleyball. A little healthy competition while working up a sweat is a good thing.

Spend Sunday morning cruising the neighborhood yard sales for free stuff.

Make a meal with what you find in the kitchen. No shopping allowed. Use your collective palettes to whip up something yummy out of nothing. Bon appetit.

Trade massages. Flip a coin to see who “gives” first because once you get rubbed it’s not as easy to summon up the strength to give.

Enjoy nature, which isn’t as easy as you might think. Whether you live in the mountains or by the beach, make a date to really experience your surroundings. Wiggle your toes in the sand or dirt. Dance with your bare feet in the water.

Take a bubble bath (note: suggested for a date other than the first).

Peruse a book store for an hour or two and make use of your hard-earned (unused) English B.A.

Go on a bike ride – short or long; rigorous or relaxing. Whatever works with your schedule and way of life.

House-hunt, even if you’re not in the market for a house. Walk through your neighborhood scoping homes and planning the design of your dream house.

Take turns telling each other stories – the imaginary kind, because creativity is a lovely way to lure you toward all sorts of fun activities.

Make out. Yes, I mean kissing. Try it in the car or living room; at the book store or while on a hike. But ignore the person who tells you to “get a room”, because…that’ll cost you.

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