Valentine’s Day is rumored to have been created by a popular greeting card company to boost sales. While this isn’t true, it’s easy to get carried away and spend a lot of money on a little bit of romance in a box. Here’s how to keep the money in your wallet and still have a Valentine’s day that will be remembered for years to come.
5 Easy ways to save on Valentine’s Day
- Skip the flowers. Flowers are expensive and around Valentine’s Day, the prices go up even further. Some of it is due to the colder weather, but most of it is due to supply and demand. If you feel like you must buy flowers, get them at a grocery store with a florist inside – refrigerated flowers last longer than those you’d get from a street vendor, and grocery store flowers are much less expensive than the ones you’d get at a floral shop.
- Don’t go out to dinner. Many places have “special” Valentine’s Day menus, and that usually means higher prices and fewer choices. Also, even with reservations, you can expect a crowd, and there’s not really much romance to be had standing in line for an hour waiting for your table. Instead, make a romantic dinner at home.
- Be creative. Coupons redeemable for you to give your honey a massage, breakfast in bed, or a foot rub can be much better gifts than a heart-shaped box of chocolates. You can make them yourself (here are some ideas) or purchase some inexpensive coupon books online.
- Make a card. Have you seen the price of cards lately? You could buy the supplies to make ten for what you’d pay for some cards. You can even find them online and print them out if you’re not the creative type. E-cards are also an option, but for many people, having something to hold on to is much nicer than having something to look at on a screen. Why not even do both? Or, you could purchase one of those 99¢ cards and make a memory book out of it. Such a thoughtful and romantic idea!
- Be practical. It’s nice to want to buy expensive jewelry for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, but sometimes it can be tough to justify the cost. If you really want to buy jewelry, it doesn’t mean you need to get something gold with diamonds. Instead, stick to something that has more meaning like an infinity necklace or a necklace with intertwined hearts.
Remember that Valentine’s Day is about showing how much you care for someone, not showing how much debt you can get into in one day. As long as you give your gift with love, it really doesn’t matter how much it costs. The heart doesn’t come at a price, right?
How do you plan to save on Valentine’s Day this year?