Make Valentine's Day Special on a Budget
Work with a budget: Designate a budget for all your Valentine’s Day expenses — and make sure both parties stick to it!
- Use a sales app: Keep more of your money in your wallet by shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts with a sales app like ShopSavvy or PriceGrabber. The apps will help you compare prices at various retailers and score deals and coupons on gifts.
- Skip on the delivery flowers: Flowers are not likely to last through the shipping and delivery process. Instead, look for great deals on long-lasting flowers by buying them at Costco or Aldi.
- Bring down your dinner costs: Consider having a romantic evening at home. You can make it special by adding touches like candles and homemade treats.
- If you are going out for dinner, use these money saving menu hacks:
- Look left: Restaurant owners put the most profitable items on the menu in the right-hand corner — the spot most people look to automatically.
- Say the price out loud: Notice the lack of dollar signs on the menu? It’s a trick to get you to spend more. Make the price real by saying it out loud.
- Ignore the decoys: Restaurants place popular dishes near overpriced items to make diners believe they’re getting a great deal, but if you pay it no attention, you’ll beat them at their game.
- Celebrate late: If you dare, and your partner agrees to it ahead of time, you can postpone your Valentine’s Day celebrations by a day or two for steep savings. You’ll find Valentine’s Day candy on clearance and you won’t have to pay inflated restaurant prices for the same meal.