Valentine’s Day is a great way to slow things down and show a partner just how much they are loved. Although there’s a lot of great ways to provide a happy Valentine’s Day for your better half, a lot of organizations may push you to spend more money thank you should. Between the chocolates, flowers and jewelry, there almost seems no ending to the amount of money you could lose over this short lived holiday. There are ways that you can be a romantic without spending a fortune though. Now, instead of spending time worrying about how you’re going to pay back the newest addition to the house’s diamond collection, you can actually sit back and enjoy the time you have with the one you love. It might even rekindle some old feelings that inspire you to treat everyday as if it were Valentine’s Day.
1. Eat at Home
Snagging a reservation at a nice restaurant can be one of the most stressful things on Valentine’s day, especially if you’re a procrastinator. Instead of trying to get into a highly expensive restaurant for the occasion you may want to consider staying at home with your date. Try to find out your sweetheart’s favorite dish, if you don’t already know, and buy the ingredients to make it yourself. If you’re not big on cooking then set up a simple picnic style dinner with lots of fruits and other easy to eat foods. Then add some nice mood music from your favorite internet radio or playlist and a few flowers that you picked yourself. Your date won’t just feel flattered that you went the extra mile to ensure they had a great day, but you’ll save a whole lot lot of money on that reservation that just caused you stressed anyway.
2. Forget Online Shopping
Online shopping can be an amazing thing for any holiday but Valentine’s Day. Instead of scouring the internet for the perfect gift you should probably just look around your neighborhood for a gift. Usually grocery stores or department stores are the best place to buy flowers for your date. As long as they are refrigerated you know you’ll get a fresh bouquet without the price tag. Generally buying flowers online requires a huge shipping cost and the flowers alone are boosted in price. Chocolates are another thing you may want to find locally. Ordering chocolate online can be touch and go because the treats tend to melt if not properly shipped. You don’t want to spend a fortune on something you could easily get at home and then have it arrive to you spoiled when no hope of getting a return product before the big day. It is easier just to go to the department store or specialty shop to find the product you need, plus there’s no shipping fee. It may also be a bad idea to buy jewelry online as it tends to be more expensive and it would be terrible to have an item go missing in the mail system, which would leave you empty handed for the big day.
3. Be Spontaneous
Instead of shelling out cash on a planned event you should try to be a bit more spontaneous. Take your date on a walk and let everything fall into to place from there. A lot of the time life tends to get in the way so any chance of being spontaneous is a bit impossible. Loosen things up with your date and you’ll be able to have a great time no matter what happens. You may be able to find some pretty incredible carnivals or other Valentine’s Day events that you didn’t even know where happening. Of course, you might also just find the time to get to know one another better or catch up on life and other things going on personally that might get swept under the rug on an everyday basis. No matter what you choose to you may find the spontaneity is a great way to have fun with your date and may even help you spend next to nothing on your excursion.
4. Make a card
Let’s face it, buying that perfect Hallmark moment card is pretty pricey now. There’s a lot of bells and whistles to choose from and it can really take some time to choose the perfect one for your Valentine. Instead of browsing in the stores for your perfect card you might want to get a little creative and make your own. It doesn’t matter what you make your card out of as your significant other with love the extra effort you put into the card. There’s a whole lot of cheap supplies you can choose from when so don’t feel confined creatively when it comes to your card. You can even look online for a few ideas to help you on your creative path. The best thing is you won’t have to spend a fortune on it and it can include a more personal message like a poem or special drawing for your Valentine.
5. Turn Off Phone
It might not sound like a whole lot, but simply turning off your phone during the holiday can really make your date feel special. Our phones pose as a constant distraction for us. Between friends, family and work calling and other social media sites and games, there’s very little time that we actually communicate with the person we love the most. So, instead of going all out financially you may want to spend some time with your partner without the buzzing of the phone. This will allow you to actually talk with one another without feeling like there is something else you need to be doing. Without the phone on you may also feel a lot more relaxed so you can communicate better and show your date the affection you often forget to show during the rest of the year. You may even take up the activity when Valentine’s Day is over.
6. Shop Sales
When it comes to Valentine’s Day there tends to be a lot of sales that you should never pass up. Jewelry is one of the most popular gifts during this time of the year, which means jewelry stores are going to work hard to get your business. Make sure you check out all of the sales before you decide on what you want to purchase. A lot of jewelry stores will even allow you to create a payment plan that will ensure you get the jewelry you want in time for the big day. Typically there is also a lot of sales on popular brands of candy that have a Valentine’s Day flare. These candies make a great gift and are perfect for children’s Valentine’s Day parties at school. If you’re looking to buy flowers you may want to wait until the day of as stores want to get rid of the bulk stock they received specifically for the holiday. Of course, if you don’t want to celebrate the holiday on the actual day you can always get clearanced Valentine’s Day items the day after which will save you even more.
7. Discount Giftcards
If you don’t want to avoid that pricey dinner in a chic restaurant then you might want to consider a discounted giftcard. This is one of the most popular ways to enjoy a night out without paying the huge price. There’s a lot of websites online that will help you purchase a giftcard for less than you’d expect. One way to do this is to buy a used giftcard. These cards are sold to a website and checked to ensure they have an appropriate amount of money on them. They are then sold to you at a price lesser than the value of the price on the card. You can also go to your favorite bulk store to find a set of giftcards that equal out to less than you’d pay. These bundles are a great way to really splurge without pushing your budget too far.
8. Flowers
When it comes to buying flowers there’s a few tricks that won’t just help you save money, but will also help you get the most out of your money. Flowers are delicate and the earlier you buy them the worse they’re going to look by the time they actually meet the eyes of your Valentine. Try to buy flowers on the actual holiday, rather than pushing your luck with trying to preserve them for the day. You should skip out on deliveries if you can. Instead surprise your Valentine with the flowers on the way home from work or when you pick your date up for whatever events you have planned. Buying flowers from your local neighborhood is always a must, but try to avoid street vendors at all cost because the price will really set you back. You should also never buy flowers unless they come from a refrigerated area because this will help them last so much longer. You should also ask your merchant if the flowers come with plant food, as this is the best way to keep the flowers looking great days to weeks after the holiday.
9. Skip the Chocolates
For some reason heart shaped boxes of chocolate seem to be one of the top gifts for the holiday. Unfortunately, these boxes tend to be filled with candies that do nothing more than disappoint in most cases. Usually, people tend to not want everything that’s in the box which sort of renders the gift a bit of a waste of money. Instead of opting for the classic gift you should try to make your own chocolaty treat. Chocolate covered strawberries or a fondue pot of chocolate is usually a nice treat. You could also make a rich cake that will satisfy the urge for chocolate at a much lower price. The options are endless when it comes to gifting chocolate so you might even feel the need to get creative. If you feel like the package isn’t creative enough then go to the store and pick out a special bag to present your candy to your date. You might even find that custom candy pieces aren’t as expensive as you think which works great for surprise proposals.
10. Make Coupons
If you’re facing budgeting problems this Valentine’s Day don’t feel discouraged. One easy and inexpensive way to make the perfect gift is to fill out a coupon book. There’s a lot of different designs you can print out in order to make your coupon book look great, but you can also hand make it for an even more personal touch. Inside the coupon book you can list anything you think your significant other would like. Usually house chores or date nights are a great option as they will make life a whole lot easier and possibly more fun. Make sure you are able to fulfill everyone in the coupon book though, so that the gift means even more. If you are having trouble figuring out ideas for your coupon book then you may want to browse online to see what others have used. Of course, there are also pre-made books that can make your coupon book work to meet your scheduling needs as well as your budget.
Don’t let Valentine’s Day become one more reason to stress out over money. With these tips you should be able to find a way to please your day while still keeping your budget in tact. This holiday should never have to be about how much you spend or what other commercial lengths you follow in order to keep the general tradition. Instead, you should make it about you and your Valentine, so that the love you share can be appreciated without a dollar value.
