It’s almost time for our news feeds to become a sea of red roses and to head to restaurants boasting lavish lovers’ banquets for quite the hefty cost…
Yes, Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us.
However, with 97% of people seeing a rise in shopping bills during economic hardship, lovers everywhere may be on the lookout for ways to save money on gifts and going out this Valentine’s Day, whilst still wanting to plan something special for their significant other.
With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with various money saving experts who have shared their top tips when it comes to saving money on gifts and date night this Valentine’s Day.
1. Set A Budget With Your Partner
First things first, if you do choose to exchange gifts but are conscious of budget, Thrifty Londoner, Laura, says it’s always best to have an open conversation with your partner:
“Having a conversation ahead of time with your partner to set expectations for gifts could be a great starting point for saving more money on Valentine’s Day. You could agree not to buy gifts, and opt for an experience instead. Alternatively you could set a spending limit.”
2. Make A Gift Yourself Instead
Once your budget has been set, you can now start planning what to give your partner. If you’ve decided not to spend money, you’re going to need to get innovative instead. This gives the perfect opportunity to put some real thought behind your gift.
Money blogger Laura advises: “I think the best way to save money on gifts is to make your own. As well as saving a fair few pounds, this idea is much more personal and thoughtful than buying a bunch of red roses for £100.”
Laura’s shared her own ideas for what gifts you could make for your loved one:
“A homemade photo album is always nice to reminisce and take a trip down memory lane. You could create a photo album of special times together, all you need is a scrapbook, a printer, and some glue! If you look on FreePrints or Photobooks, you can actually get a free softcover photo book, all you need to pay for is the delivery.”
“Another free but fun idea is creating Love Coupons – you could create 10-20 romantic vouchers that they can ‘redeem’ throughout the year, such as a massage from you, or their favourite meal for a date night at home. You can make sure that most of the activities won’t cost you any extra money, and it offers the chance to get personal again. Your partner is more likely to appreciate this than something you’ve purchased from a shop.”
3. Invest In A Gift From An Independent Brand
If you’re not one for arts and crafts and you have decided to buy a gift for your partner, our resident stylist, Megan Watkins, recommends to shop independent: “It can feel a little impersonal to buy your partner something from a mainstream brand which thousands of others may receive from their partners.”
“Why not invest in a unique piece from an independent brand instead? That way, your money spent is going towards a small business and you will be able to treat your partner to something more special for them.”
4. Choose To Dine In Instead Of Going Out
Laura recommends avoiding busy and overpriced restaurants and opting for a romantic meal at home instead: “To save money, I personally wouldn’t go out for a meal. There are so many great Supermarket Dine In offers which are great value for money, so I’d scout around to see which takes your fancy.”
“The best ones I’ve seen this year are Sainsburys Dine in for 2 for £15, M&S Valentines Dine In £20 and Co-Op Valentines Day Meal Deal from £12.”
If you’re really looking to up the ante, why not try your hand at cocktail making as well? Charlotte Rumsby, co-founder of mobile cocktail bar company, Harbour & Coupe , has shared her trusted recipe for one of the nation’s most loved cocktails: “There’s no better feeling than creating restaurant worthy cocktails in the comfort of your own home and what better post dinner treat than an Espresso Martini?”
Here’s what you need to make an espresso martini yourself:
Ingredients
35ml 42 Below Vodka (or vodka of your choice)
15ml Kahlua
15ml Sugar syrup (or Vanilla sugar syrup if you like it sweeter!)
75ml Cold Brew Coffee
3 Coffee beans
Ice
5. Search For The Best Deal Online
If you are adamant on buying a gift, but you’re not sure how to find the best deals Thrifty Londoner, Laura, has shared some of her favourite hacks:
“When browsing for gifts online, be sure to make the most of voucher codes, cashback apps and cashback websites such as TopCashback. You can also install a browser extension such as Honey, which will search the web for any existing voucher codes when you get to the checkout page when buying something online.”
6. Resist Temptation To Purchase New Clothing Or Lingerie
Whilst it might be tempting to purchase a new lingerie set or a new outfit for your date night, this is likely to be an impulse buy which isn’t necessary when trying to save money.
Our resident stylist Megan shares her top tips to pulling an outfit together for Valentine’s:
“On Valentine’s Day it’s all about feeling confident and sexy, so choose pieces from your wardrobe which you know you feel good in. A classic and comfortable look which is on-trend right now is a mini skirt, knee high boots and oversized shirt combo – which are all items that you likely have in your wardrobe.”
“Another idea is to rewear something that you wore on your first date with your partner, which will provide sentimental value you can’t buy with a new outfit.”
Browse our collection of personalised gifts from independent brands here.
Looking for the perfect date night outfit? We’ve got you sorted.
