10 Ways to Save on Valentines Day

Valentine’s Day is a great time to demonstrate your romantic side, but it can also be a very expensive day. Everyone wants to show their loved one how much they care, but you don’t always need to empty your wallet to do so. Start planning early this year, and take a look at these 10 ways to save money while still scoring points with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day.

1. Stay in: Probably the cheapest (and most romantic) way to spend Valentine’s Day is to stay in. Cook dinner, rent a movie, or share a bottle of wine to really relax and enjoy each other’s company.


2. Postpone your travel: If you want to get out town, plan your trip a few weeks before or after Valentine’s Day. By being flexible with dates, you can save lots of cash on flights, hotels, and restaurants.


3. Order early: By ordering with enough time left over, you’ll avoid costly express shipping. Plus, you can take advantage of after Christmas sales and avoid panicking and buying something your significant other does not want or need.


4. Pay cash: If you are splurging on a big gift this year, don’t finance your gift, even if it seems like a good deal. Paying cash will make you stick to your budget, and you’ll inevitable save on interest fees.


5. Ask for free gift wrapping: Many stores do this for you, and it will save you money, time and hassle. Plus, it will most likely look more polished and time-consuming.


6. Get crafty: Homemade gifts aren’t for everyone, and you have to make sure it’s actually cheaper, but creating your own Valentine’s gift is a great way to give heartfelt presents that don’t cost a whole lot.


7. Replace gifts with acts of kindness: If you both have everything you need, surprise each other with presents that don’t cost a thing. Spend your time thinking about the perfect gift rather than spreading your finances too thin.


8. Shop local: Buy from local craftsmen, and you’ll probably save money while getting unique items. Check out school craft fairs, co-ops, and farmers markets for ideas and inspiration.


9. Frucall: If you already know what to get your loved one, you can online comparison shop from your mobile phone with this service. Put in the barcode of the item you want to look up, and it will tell you prices from various retailers.


10. Slickdeals: Use Slickdeals to get alerted about some of the best bargains both online and off. Your sweetheart won’t have to know that you paid bottom dollar. Plus, these alerts might also provide some inspiration if you are not sure what to get.

By-line:
Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and credit writer, as well as a regular contributor for BusinessCreditCards.com a site for comparing business credit card offers. She welcomes questions, comments, and freelancing job inquiries at her email address This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it