Valentine's Day on a Budget?

In years gone by it might have been the done thing to go all out on Valentine’s Day, but that was before the cost-of-living crisis and making financial independence and stability our good new habit for 2023. Of course, if you can afford to, it doesn’t hurt to spoil your loved ones every now and then, but doing so should not break the bank, and how much you love someone should not be weighed in gold.

So here are some tips we’ve compiled to do Valentine’s Day on a budget.

Start a Tradition

Why not, instead of doing the generic box of chocolates, wine and dinner, start a tradition between you and your partner that you can do every year on Valentine’s Day? It could end up being a lot more cost-effective, and meaningful at the same time. Why not go on a yearly picnic where you first met? Or volunteer for a charity for a day together that you both care about? You could even cook your favourite meal together and dine in – there are loads of options and it’s something you can look forward to every year.

Give the Gift of Time

Why not do something to help your partner out? If you’re not the cook of the house, why not become it for Valentine’s Day? Why not clean the house or do a task your partner’s been meaning to do but hasn’t had the time to? It could be something quite meaningful, helpful and it won’t go unnoticed.

Skip It

Why not skip Valentine’s Day altogether? But the most important thing about this is that if you do choose to do this, you must ensure your partner is in on it too – there would be nothing worse for your partner to think you’d forgotten or not bothered for all the wrong reasons. Why not sit down and speak to them about whether Valentine’s Day really is that important to them, or whether it’s simply a pressure to celebrate? Why not decide to spend more time on thought on your anniversary instead? A day to celebrate your personal relationship? In Wales we celebrate twice – why not decide to do either Santes Dwynwen or Valentine’s Day but not both?

Buy Flowers and Presents Locally

Don’t feel tempted to buy those mail bouquets – there’s no shame in heading to the supermarket and buying your flowers there instead. Delivery prices for flowers are a lot more expensive during Valentine’s Day. Also, don’t be tempted to buy roses – the price is hiked massively for the time of year…

Celebrate a Different Day

As mentioned before, in Wales we have Santes Dwynwen – because it isn’t at the same time of year as the hallmark holiday, you might find you can get gifts a fraction of the price because of it. So why not just celebrate Welsh Valentine’s Day instead? If that’s not an option for you now, why not celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 15th, when all of the gifts and flowers go half price? Perhaps it doesn’t sound as romantic, but as we say, your love is not measured in the amount of money you spend on a person, and it shouldn’t be.