5 Frugal Valentine Tips To Help You Save Money

Valentine Day (V-day) is fast approaching. That means many guys will be cracking their heads on what to do, and more importantly, how much they will be spending. Merchants know that, and hence this is the perfect occasion for them to mark up everything, from red roses to uniquely named fine dishes that are simply spinoff from the everyday menu.

However, enjoying a meaningful V-day doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. Below are 5 straightforward, economical themes that will not only help enhance your relationship, but more importantly, delight your pockets!

1. Buy Cheaper Affordable Roses

If flowers are a must, plan beforehand on how you are going about getting them. While there is no question that prices for flowers will increase exorbitantly during V-day, you can still save some money by avoiding mainstream or higher-end florists. Instead, keep costs under control by heading down to grocery stores (e.g. Cold Storage) or even online sellers whereby you can easily compare prices and designs.

Flowers won’t last forever, and the grocer would rather sell them than to dump them. For that reason, flowers are usually cheaper at the grocer’s than at the florist. And if you order in advance, you may get a better discount.

2. Handmade Gifts

Spending tons of money on gifts may sometimes not yield the results you hope for, especially if what you purchase is something common. Consider doing something which is unique to the both of you. These could include hand-made cards or photo albums filled with beautiful memories of the two of you together.

It has been the craze in Singapore lately with stores like Paper Market doing well and this a good place to get your creative juices going. Or if you are not artistically inclined (like most of us here at DollarsAndSense.sg), you can also pick up saga seeds in a container as a token of love. The options are unlimited; you just have to open up your innovative mind.

3. A Cozy Home

One of the intangibles of having a home is that you get to save money on special occasion such as V-day by hosting dinner yourself. With every restaurant worth going pricing their menu much higher than usual, it is more prudent to be staying in the comfort of your own home and to do something relaxed. These activities include;

• Make a 3-course meal as a romantic gesture.
• Share a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie that you’re dying to see or an old favorite. Reliving your early dating days by watching the first movie you ever watched together is also an awesome gesture, if you can remember it.
• Dance to the tune of classical romantic music if the house is plainly yours.
• Bake some cookies or cakes and immerse yourselves in the bonding session.

4. Celebrate on another day

This year’s V-day is on a Friday, and that means more so than ever, the restaurants will be cramped to the brink so as to maximise their own revenue. You can easily sidestep this by pushing back your plans to the weekend. That way, you can enjoy the holiday without being late for your date due to your boss, and you don’t have to deal with the V-day mark-ups from retailers and restaurants.

Besides, most places are packed with couples with ladies holding on to big bouquets that probably cost more than their dinner. You can shun off the “invisible” competition by using a different day as long as your partner is fine with it.

This is one ocassion whereby being a contrarian can definitely help save you some money.

5. Venture Out

Lastly, if you would just like to experience a simple V-day outside, there are plenty of affordable choices too such as the Singapore River, where you can bask in the Marina Bay Sands’ laser light show, or Mount Faber, with its city lights 100 meters below making it an attractive and romantic venue.

You can also complement a home-cooked dinner with a stroll in the park under the moon for a romantic night out. Or head toward a nearby beach with your picnic basket and gaze at the stars.

Do you have more ideas on what to do on V-day on a budget? If you do, feel free to share it on our Facebook Page!

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