Valentine’s Day and other special events may cause you to spend more than you normally would.
It’s important to keep in mind that sentiment often counts more than the price tag when buying gifts for the significant people in your life, rather than feeling like you have to spend a lot of money.
In reality, certain thoughtful presents and actions might enable you to save money while expressing your love and gratitude for the people in your life. Here are some ideas to think about if you want to spend this important event within your means.
7 Tips on Doing Valentine’s Day on a Budget
1. Plan ahead.
Valentine’s Day is almost exclusively about love, but it’s also a celebration of good food, flowers, and confections. Most bookings for Valentine’s Day are made weeks in advance. So it can be difficult to get a table for your forthcoming Valentine’s Day event.
Early reservations are the best course of action, especially for a well-liked, romantic restaurant. Additionally, you might wish to apply the same strategy while purchasing gifts. To ensure you receive what you want and prevent overpaying at the last minute, shop well in advance.
2. Set a budget and stick to it.
It’s okay to lavish the one you love with gifts – as long as you’re aware of your financial limitations and adhere to them.
If you want to stay within your budget, whether you want to spend $60 or $1,000 on Valentine’s Day, make an itemized gift list. Valentine’s Day may be the most romantic day of the year, but going into debt as a result of overspending is everything but romantic.
Be honest about what you can and cannot afford while staying within your budget.
3. Celebrate at home.
A typical Valentine’s Day custom is taking your special someone out to a lavish meal.
However, the price can mount rapidly and significantly reduce your monthly restaurant spending.
To avoid the high cost of a night out, consider cooking a romantic dinner together. This can be a fun and intimate experience (as long as you know your way around the kitchen).
The time spent arranging this event might have a bigger impact than the money spent on an evening out, and you can give a high-quality supper at a fraction of the price.
The cooking time gives you more time to connect more while the meal is being prepared. You can create an ambiance by playing soft music in the background or watching your favorite movie together. Celebrating at home not only save costs but also allows you to connect more deeply.
Also, keep in mind that restaurants often charge you around three times what a glass or bottle of wine costs if you want to drink any with your meal. This implies that you may improve your wine choices at home while still paying less overall.
4. Use creative gift ideas.
Due to rising costs of living, Valentine’s Day can be pricey, particularly if you select many gifts for your person.
Consider various types of flowers besides roses when coming up with present ideas to help you be more imaginative.
Roses are expensive, and they also don’t last very long. More flowers than just roses are appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Tulips, daisies, lilies, and many other varieties of flowers are some options to think about, many of which can be less expensive than roses.
Instead of purchasing a Valentine’s Day present, think about making one yourself to save money. There are numerous smart, budget-friendly DIY projects and kits available, like those for producing candles, cookies, and embroidered portraits.
5. Redeem and use credit card rewards.
A penny saved is a penny earned. Using rewards to reduce your spending is better than leaving money on the table. Hoarding prizes might make sense in some situations. For a specific incentive, such as an award trip or hotel stay, some people would prefer to earn more points.
But this tactic is not without dangers. Travel companies frequently lower the value of their loyalty programs, so your preferred travel currency could not be the same the next year or at some other time in the future.
In addition, booking a business class award or a hotel at a well-known luxury resort is becoming increasingly difficult owing to limited availability as a result of the revenge travel phenomena.
If you don’t want to use your points for travel on Valentine’s Day, you might want to think about using them for gifts instead.
For instance, your credit card could let you exchange rewards for gift cards, or you might use the sign-up bonus from a new card to buy a present for a special someone.
Additionally, be sure to look into the limited-time offers offered by your credit card to see what discounts you might get by making purchases from particular stores.
6. Use gift cards.
Gift cards can make a great Valentine’s Day present, as long as the object of your affection loves the merchant (and gift cards).
However, be sure they don’t neglect using them — gift cards are easy to lose or forget about. 47% of adults in the U.S. currently have at least one unused gift card, voucher, or store credit, with the average value being $175 per person.
For a stressed-out Valentine’s Day shopper, a gift card can be an easy way to make their partner happy. Alternatively, if you have any unused gift cards from over the holidays in December, you may want to consider using them to buy a gift for a loved one.
7. Make your own Valentine’s Day cards.
Try crafting your own Valentine’s Day cards at home rather than purchasing them from the shop.
By using this as a cost-effective craft project, you can create unique cards that you can send to your loved ones while also saving money.
Do Valentine’s Day on a Budget This Year
Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be a source of financial stress.
If you plan, you can give yourself time to come up with a plan that’s meaningful and fun, yet still affordable. All you need to do is plan, stick to a budget and think of some creative Valentine’s Day ideas.
If you want to conserve money, you could give and receive meaningful, homemade presents rather than pricey ones, or you might prefer to attempt a low-key couple’s activity like preparing supper at home.
