How to Save on Valentine’s Day Spending

Would you believe that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner?

Have you thought long and hard about how to put together the most perfect night, whether you’re thinking of showering your significant other with gifts, chocolate, flowers or have something more elaborate planned.

How about an entire romantic weekend, complete with hotel room for a few nights? Who wouldn’t want to be whisked away to a getaway, whether a nice bed and breakfast or maybe even jettisoning to the beach?

From stretch limos to fancy dinners and everything in between, Valentine’s Day is undoubtedly a day to show appreciation for your partner.

But, at what cost? Sure, you don’t want to be the killjoy or “Debbie Downer” who immediately thinks about Valentine’s Day and wonders aloud or even to yourself the question that could kill more than just the mood.

“How much is this going to cost?” The reality is, however, money and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand, when you consider the price involved.

The truth is Valentine’s Day, with all the pomp, circumstance and planning can get extremely expensive, and despite the fact that your ideas and what you’d like to do is at the forefront not every budget or financial situation is tailor made for spending (or overspending) in mind.

If you still believe that Valentine’s Day is just a single rose, hug and kiss type “holiday,” you might want to run the numbers one more time.

In 2017, Valentine’s Day rang up a total of 18 billion dollars, roughly $136 per person, with more than half of the population celebrating this holiday (54 percent).^[1]

Even a dozen roses is going to cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $41, but is that truly enough?^[2]

Sadly, as much as Valentine’s Day should be about the celebration of the person and union, it is drive by spending as a means to showcase just how much you care for someone, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

You can find alternative gifts, outings and other ways to say “I Love You,” minus the over the top, ridiculous spending spree that typically ensues.

Doing so might take some additional time and effort on your part, but if budgeting and money is a factor in your plans, you still can have a memorable, amazing night if you just think outside the box that is dipping into your wallet or charging on a credit card en route to the night of your life.

Dinner Panned: Try Dinner at Home, minus the Restaurant

Dinner is a rite of passage when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day, so that isn’t even negotiable when it comes to figure out what you can and can’t afford on this special day.

But going out to eat and staying in to chow down are two totally different costs, particularly when you consider how much the former is going to cost you.

The average bill for two for Valentine’s Day is $173.53, up about 12 percent over the last five years. Back then it was around $146, still pricey but the steady increase shows that people don’t have a hard time, for the most part, paying a premium for food.^[3]

Eating at home truly is a viable alternative, even though some may consider this essentially waiving the white flag as far as wanting a night out and a romantic evening. Yes, you’ll have to stay in, but who says you can’t create the mood, have a wonderfully intimate night and dinner, too.

Consider that the average cost per person for dinner when you at home is $12.75.^[4] Naturally that is a little low compared to what you might spend on a meal that is a little more involved, but even if your cost per person is $25, you’re still saving more than $120 on the meal.

A few dollars spent on candles, cue up some romantic music via Apple Music or Spotify and away you go. The evening is set, and you’re saving more than 50 percent off dinner.

If you consider, circa 2016, that the average restaurant bill in general went up 2.7 percent from the previous year, eating out is expensive no matter what day it is, so Valentine’s Day and that dining markup might be worth skipping.^[5]

A lot of what makes Valentine’s Day special, however, is the idea of getting dressed up to go out. Perhaps Valentine’s Day is one of only a few times each year where you enjoy the idea of going to a nice restaurant and being away from the kitchen at home.

You can still put on your favorite dress, heels, suit and tie, but with a bit of a twist. Why not go the route of just ordering a drink and dessert?

The average dessert for two is around $30 at a fine dining establishment, and even if you add a few $10 drinks to the mix, you can get away with a meal and those fancy duds for around $50 or $60 at most.

Flower Power: Order your Flowers Now or end up paying more

A dozen roses is going to cost you nearly $50, but isn’t there some sort of happy medium when it comes to flowers on Valentine’s Day?

To not send flowers, chocolates or even a cuddly teddy bear seems odd if Valentine’s Day comes and goes and you’re significant other comes up empty handed.

That said, you can order flowers, have them sent and be the hero of February 14, but you may have to get creative to do so.

One idea is to mix and match your flower arrangements, deciding to opt for not just roses (often driving up the price). Various online flower retailers have Valentine’s Day packages that start at around $30, but they’ll include other popular flowers such as orchids, roses and tulips.

You might get lucky and stumble across cheaper flowers where you’d least expect it: the grocery store. You can find as many as a dozen long stem roses for around $10 to $15, so keep your eyes peeled as you are buying bread for Valentine’s Day flowers. Buying online is always the more expensive route, so maybe you can get lucky at your local grocery store.

If you’re someone who waits until February 14 (or a day before hand) to buy roses in person at a florist or ordering online, you can expect to spend twice as much, as the markup for procrastination almost seems justified if it’s a last minute decision on your part.^[6]

In general, the earlier you can find Valentine’s Day flowers, the better, and adding variations to an all-roses bouquet also helps drive the price down. Generally speaking, if you order Valentine’s Day flowers two weeks out, you’ll save 30 percent.^[7]

Remember, the closer to the day, the more you pay.

You also have to take into account the person you’re buying for as well. Maybe they’re not a red roses kind of person, and that also should play into the part of your decision. Rarely has anyone who received a flower deliver balked at the idea of not getting red roses if they aren’t necessarily their favorite or shooed them away if it’s a combination of red roses and other spirited and sensational flowers.

Here’s another idea for Valentine’s Day delivery: send them on February 13.

OK, so maybe that sounds a little “cheap” but consider you’ll save $10 to $15 just for that extra day.^[8]

Budget Breakdown: Set Spending Amount, Stick to it and Try Making Gifts

Not everyone has hundreds of dollars to spend on Valentine’s Day, and the commercialism involved with this holiday of sorts has been well documented, so gift-giving is popular, but steering clear of the traditional gifts might be a better idea.

Sure, as we discussed, you can find flowers and have a romantic meal on your own financial terms but if that still isn’t running parallel with what you want to spend, have no fear.

Gift giving is important, but whether it’s jewelry or something else, always make sure you set a budget for yourself for Valentine’s Day.

The average piece of jewelry is $350 on Valentine’s Day, not exactly a small price point.^[9] Most retailers run promos that allow you to save up to 60 percent off at a moment’s notice, so if that’s the route you take, shop in that section.

Chocolate, another wildly popular Valentine’s Day gift, can be expensive, up to $50 on a box of chocolates. Again, with your budget in mind, think how you can create this same gift for the special sweet-tooth person on your list.

A bag of heart shaped candy costs between $4 and $6 at most, and don’t forget you can make chocolate-covered treats for around $10 on your own.^[10]

If that doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to use online promo codes, Groupon and other sites of that ilk to find fun things to do, and save money. Remember, Valentine’s Day is what you make of it, and who you’re with, and not every night has to be dressing up and going to dinner.

Have fun with it.

Homemade gifts are always a thoughtful alternative, too. Think about your first date, first kiss, and try to look for inspiration in that vein.

What song was playing? Maybe you can take your partner ice skating and have them play that song while you’re out there together.

Sites like Pinterest come to mind, and are chalked full of gift-giving ideas that can easily put you in the right direction. Always thinking about how you met that special someone or recalling a fun night you had, the moment you said “I Love You” and trying to recreate that through a gift that recalls it is more special than any set of chocolate covered strawberries. You could argue that gift means that much more.

One fun idea is to create envelopes that encourage your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend to open them if they’re feeling a certain way (i.e. Open When You’re Upset; Open When You Need a Hug or had a bad day at work).

Those things ring truer than any store bought “thing,” and you might actually be surprised to see the reaction you get as a result.

Finding that balance between celebration, admiration and spending isn’t as easy as it sounds in terms of how you enjoy Valentine’s Day.

It’s easy to come to the resolution that you’re not going to buy anything and just stay home, and that certainly is an option.

Budgeting and trying to save money often doesn’t have a loop hole for some, and so that decision is one that, while a difficult pill to swallow, often is necessary if you simply don’t have the money to do anything noteworthy.

But you can get creative, and you can find a way for Valentine’s Day to mean something, without completely draining your wallet as a result. Far too often the normal Valentine’s Day fodder comes to the front of the line, and you almost feel as though you have no choice but to spend a small fortune on the day.

Finding that alternative won’t be easy, and certainly feeling tempted to spend money is going to be part of the strength you have to find within and endure temptation.

Jewelry is going to cost you at least a few hundred dollars, and a night out can be as much as $500 on average, with the latest number putting the total at a whopping $512.02.^[11]

But if that’s simply not feasible, and you need a better option, you can always consider a lesser option that you shouldn’t consider “cheap” or that you’ve decided that Valentine’s Day isn’t important.

Showing love and appreciation for a person isn’t about the almighty dollar.

The phrase, the “thought that counts” matters, and putting in the time and effort to come up with something in lieu of spending still will be welcomed by the recipient with open arms, minus the empty pockets on your end.