How to Find Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Deals on a Budget

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and while some have been preparing for this day for weeks or even months (maybe even as early as New Year’s Day), others aren’t quite at that point, planning wise.

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?

If not, you’re certainly not alone.

But do you really have a few billion dollars lying around? OK, so maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t going to cost just you that much, but Americans spend roughly 19 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day each year, with most of that coming from flowers, candy and greeting cards. Spending was up in 2017 about six percent from 2016, and 2018 is looking to be no different.^[1]

A lot of what ails Valentine’s Day, however, centers on the overspending of sorts and how that plays into waiting until the very last minute.

The cost of a dozen red roses on February 11 or 12 is going to feel a whole lot different than ones you’re going to get on the 15th, the day after Valentine’s Day. And while handing your loved ones those flowers the day after Valentine’s Day might be a little anti-climatic, it also will be a whole lot cheaper, too.

So where exactly do you draw the line? Can you find a happy medium with last-minute “deals” and not succumbing to higher markups because you waited so long?

The truth is Valentine’s Day, while a billion-dollar holiday, can be navigated through without losing your last red cent on those red roses or boxes of red, heart-shaped candy, as long as you’re willing to think outside of that box of chocolate and look for traditional gifts in non-traditional places.

Yes, you’d love to be able to purchase a dozen roses, but that can cost you up to $100 if you’re going through a florist or online provider. Collectively, the masses spend more than 35 billion dollars per year on eating out at restaurants.^[2]

Surely, this can’t be the only way.

The good news is those last-minute reservations and flowers that aren’t going to live long enough to see the end of February don’t have to be your salvation but even if that’s the route you want to take, you can do so in a way that is inexpensive and still sentimental, sweet and devoid of depleting your savings account.

Here are a few last-minute Valentine’s Day ideas you can score on a budget, some of which are more demure than others, while a few are ideal and can be pulled off even if you don’t have a whole lot of extra cash on hand to spend.

Cutie Applied: Why cute often means cheap but in a good way

You’ll see plenty of online deals that go against the Valentine’s Day grain of wanting you to spend hundreds of dollars on dinner, drinks, flowers, chocolates and everything else that is marked up 200 percent in preparation for February 14, 2018.

Instead, why not think about a gift, something that the person you’re buying for wants and needs, but also has a sense of practically and kindness underscored as characteristics of what you’re about to hand them.

No, this isn’t about installing that dishwasher for the kitchen as a gift or making sure you’re stocking your sweetie with his or her favorite cake mix (you never want to give a gift that suggests work is involved).

Rather, plenty of retailers are all about discounting both traditional and non-traditional items that are perfect, inexpensive gifts that still maintain a level of romance to them.

Ditch the clothing and accessories and instead think about what they’ll love that is affectionate and affordable.

What woman wouldn’t want to be pampered for Valentine’s Day, but if buying a $100 per hour massage isn’t in the cards, why not turn your home bathroom into a spa of sorts. Think massage oils or stones as a means to not spend an arm and a leg and instead have the love of your life relaxing both of those appendages and more in a nice, soothing bath. Amazon is riddled with gift ideas, none better than a $17 set of massage stones.^[3]

If flowers are on your radar, why not again think more non-traditional than anything else. Relaxation and pampering are at the top of anyone’s list on Valentine’s Day, and one gift idea that can be paired nicely with those massage stones are less than $10: floral soaps (actually only $6.39).^[4] These are in the shape of red, pink and various shades of roses and look stunning, despite the small price tag.

The combination of the above two items is going to cost you less than $20, so even if you had a greeting card or a few flowers (not a full dozen), you have pieced together the perfect gift for a fraction of what the average person spends.

And don’t forget if you’re all about getting your guy something for Valentine’s Day, the universal appeal of grooming kits can’t be underestimated.

If you choose correctly, they’re packaged perfectly, and are less than $50. manscaped.com is all about packaging it and delivering the goods for just under $50, including razors, electric clippers and moisturizer plus a free shaving bag to boot.^[5]

Traditional Trade Off: Why you can go old school, sans cost

And speaking of flowers, and the average person, did you know the average person spends approximately $146 on Valentine’s Day.^[6]

That number is staggering and actually a little lower than it probably could be given that not everyone celebrates the event, usually about half of the population.

But what exactly are the real numbers as far as what people actually want to spend.

Men and women, whether they want to admit it or not, aren’t interested in spending a whole lot. About 60 percent of men want to spend less than $100 on Valentine’s Day, while women want to spend less than $50.^[7]

That shows quite the disparity as far as the average versus what he or she is thinking.

That would suggest, too, that lesser expensive options aren’t just on the table but able to be had, even if you skip cute and instead go for the full-blown, all-out traditional Valentine’s Day gifts.

OK, so maybe not exactly “full-blown” per say.

You might be surprised that pawn shops do outstanding business on Valentine’s Day, among other holidays like Christmas, for example, mostly due to budgetary restraints put forth on the general public.

A piece of gold could easily be replaced by sterling silver or some other metal of choice since gold is trading at around $1,335 an ounce as of early February.^[8]

Jewelry aside, how about those flowers? They keep coming back to your list as far as what to buy in keeping things traditional for Valentine’s Day.

In 2017, American spent 2 billion dollars on flowers along as part of the holiday.^[9]

But that doesn’t mean you have to pay a small fortune, however. Consider alternatives to online delivery outlets that charge $5 for convenience on Valentine’s Day and are always quick to charge more for not only the flowers but add ons like bears, vases and other things that, while aesthetically pleasing, might burst that February 14 budget of yours.

The grocery store flowers are going to be much less expensive, and even retail outlets are getting into the Valentine’s Day flower business.

Coupon codes for online stops like Pro Flowers and 1800 Flowers will help, but consider that Target, for example, is offering a doze roses for $17.99 (of course, while supplies last). Consider that you’ll spend a little more than double that if you choose to have them delivered and ordered online.

Some savvy flower purchases take place on February 13, and then are left as a surprise for their significant other to wake up to that morning. As long as the flowers are kept in water (hidden, of course), there’s no reason you can’t buy them the day of and “deliver” them yourself. Imagine the feeling of waking up to bedside roses; just as good if not better than delivered by someone else.

Meal panning: How to handle fine Valentine’s Day dining

Eating out at restaurants and Valentine’s Day are like the proverbial peas and carrots.

They just belong together.

But dining out any other time of the year is pricey so add the special occasion and price points of Valentine’s Day dinner, and you’re dealing with a completely different financial entity.

The national average for a Valentine’s Day dinner is around $96 for two, but you also have to consider major cities like New York and Los Angeles are more in the neighborhood of $300.^[10]

If you aren’t at liberty to throw around $100 or more on Valentine’s Day, you can consider other options that don’t keep the tradition of a romantic dinner, minus the money.

Eating in is an option, as romance isn’t really predicated on the physical location but more about atmosphere. Eating at home is an option, and that is going to cost you about half of what you’d spend on average.

Consider the cost of feeding a family of four is about $146 to $289 for an entire week, so that certainly puts into perspective a meal that costs somewhere in between for one night. phttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/grocery-costs-for-family/2104165/">[11]

You also can consider dining out but try to find some criteria first before you take the Valentine’s Day plunge, food wise.

Steer clear of places that have a set food price, meaning the menu is chosen before hand and the price isn’t going to change (i.e. Dinner for 2, dessert included for $150). Not only can the food choices be restrictive but the cost again is prohibitive.

A happy medium, if you’re wanting to have a nice night out, is to have a romantic dinner at home, complete with your fancy Valentine’s Day outfits and attire but opt to head out for dessert or a drink to cap off the night. Again, you’ll have to find a place that isn’t specific on you having to partake in a fine dining price point, but that shouldn’t be too hard to come by.

Between the modest cost of eating and preparing food at home to a few drinks or sharing a dessert or both, you’ll have that sweetheart experience, devoid of a massive bill at the end of the night.

Being “cheap” on Valentine’s Day versus being creative, cute and loving are two completely different sentiments.

Buying your significant other a plastic red rose, $1.00 greeting card and a piece of chocolate that looks as though its best days are behind it reek of insincerity and procrastination, along with apathy in general toward what is suppose to be a romantic holiday, the most romantic holiday of the year in fact.

Avoid the things that look like they crawled out from under a cooler at the neighborhood drug store, and instead learn to dress up the gifts even if they’re cheaper than they appear.

Not everyone has a few hundred dollars to spare on February 14, so whether you’re waiting until the weekend (after Valentine’s Day), enjoying a romantic dinner at home or picking up flowers anymore that isn’t going to gouge you with a significant up charge for things like “service fees” or “convenience charges,” you can always find a way to that special someone’s heart, minus the overbearing cost that is associated with this day.

Saying “I Love You” or that you’re thinking about a special someone on Valentine’s Day ultimately comes with a price tag, but the numbers and the dollar amount printed on it don’t have to be dictated to you in order to have an evening or day to remember.

Last-minute deals exist, and that doesn’t mean you have to look the part of a cheapskate in the process.

So if you in fact aren’t ready for Valentine’s Day, and you’ve waited this long, you’ll be surprised to find that with a little hard work and perseverance, you can find the perfect combination of solace and sweetness in the next few days, even if money is a hurdle that might make you think otherwise.

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