Just when you think your wallet might be starting to recover after the festive season, Valentine’s Day strikes, and your better half is expecting something special. This means cheap chocolates picked up from the garage on your way home simply won’t cut it. Starting to panic? Fear not, there’s plenty you can do to woo your Valentine this year, without breaking the bank. Here are our top tips.
- A romantic dinner, at home
Don’t underestimate the power of a homemade meal, made with love. It needn’t be anything extravagant, unless you fancy yourself as a Jamie or Nigella in the kitchen, but rest assured, your Valentine will almost certainly appreciate the gesture and effort you put in. And if you don’t think your house or apartment is the ideal setting for a romantic dinner, then ask around your friends to see if they’ll “lend” you their home for the evening. Just don’t forget the wine.
- Buy flowers a few days before Valentine’s Day
Flowers are notoriously overpriced on Valentine’s Day, and it can seem as if they get a new price tag just for the 14th of February. That’s if there are any left in the shops by the time you get there. To avoid the mad rush, buy your flowers a few days before the time. And don’t worry, they’ll still look fresh when you give them to your loved one (just remember to give them water!) Alternatively, give the gift of a potted plant, for example a miniature rose bush. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, and potted plants are generally low maintenance and often not a pricey as a bunch of roses.
- Make a memory box
Whether you’ve been together for a few months, or years, a memory box of your time together is SUPER romantic and thoughtful. It’s all about gathering keepsakes of your time together, and nothing is considered silly. The ticket stubs from your first movie or concert together, the little bottle of sand you gathered from a favourite beach, a dried flower picked from one of your walks, or even the classic old CD mix of “your songs”. You get the idea. And next year, you can add new keepsakes of your time together to the memory box.
Of course, the most important thing to remember is that it really is the thought and gesture that counts, and telling someone you love or care about them needn’t come with a price tag. Happy Valentine’s Day!
