The countdown begins! Seven day left to show your loved one how thoughtful, sensitive, witty and organised you are. Yeap, the pressure is on. It’s no wonder so many of us reach for our wallets to buy some pre-fab romance – often after burying our heads in the sand until the last minute!

Of course this can have disastrous consequences. How many relationships have ended after a disorganised ‘darling’ has had to express their love using the contents of their local petrol station?

With a little planning, being the perfect romantic needn’t cost an arm and a leg? There are plenty of ways you can save money when buying gifts and spoiling the one you love for Valentine’s, without resorting to the ASDA ‘smart price’ Valentines card. So here are our top tips…

Flowers
One of the most popular gifts on Valentine’s Day is flowers, in particular red roses. Florists aren’t daft either, they are well aware of this tradition and often whack the price of roses up in the days surrounding February 14th.

You could save a few bob, and perhaps even impress, by buying their favourite flowers rather than opting for the obvious choice of roses. The price of other flowers is rarely inflated at this time of year, so it could cost you less as well as showing a little extra thought.

If you are intent of your loved one receiving a dozen red roses, then make sure you are getting a good value for money. Roses last for longer when they are ice cold, so buy from a reputable florist or supermarket rather than someone at the side of the road looking for a quick buck.

If you don’t want to show your loved one where you bought the flowers from, you could always spend a couple of quid on some tissue paper and ribbon to rewrap the flowers yourself.

If want to go the whole-hog, and you work near your partner, why not deliver them to their place of work and leave them to feign embracement from all the unwanted attention!

“…leave them to feign embracement from all the unwanted attention!”

Dinner
When Valentine’s falls over the weekend the cost of going out for a romantic meal soars. We’re lucky it’s a Tuesday this year, but the costs can still be inflated on the weekends either side.

If you want to treat your special someone but don’t fancy shelling out near £100 for an evening meal there are some alternatives:

1. Go out for lunch instead. Many restaurants will have a Valentine’s lunch menu which could halve the cost of dining out in the evening.
2. Recreate your first date. Assuming that your first date was not an extravagant night out, and more like a slice of pizza, why not do it all over again?
3. Rather than going out to celebrate, you could have an intimate night in the house together. Head to the supermarket to buy their favourite foods and cook a meal at home.
4. Picnic under the stars. If the weather’s not too shocking, try a spot of star gazing whilst munching posh-picnic-nosh.
5. Alternatively (if your over 18) why not use 80’s classic “Nine ½ weeks” for some saucy inspiration (enough said!)

Valentine’s Card
If you have been with your loved one for some time it’s unlikely you’ll need to send the ‘guess who’ card, but you might still want to declare your love with a greetings card.

Valentine’s cards are usually incredibly expensive from card shops so, if you’re going to have to pay top-dollar anyway, why not head online? The rise of Moonpig.com and Funkypigeon.com means you can personalise your card (change names, add photos of the two of you together etc) and even have it delivered directly to your loved one.

One step further than a personalised card is to make the card yourself. This doesn’t mean giving your loved one a scrap of A4 paper folded in half with ‘I love you’ written on it. Buy some card, ribbon, glitter etc. and spend some time designing a truly special card at a fraction of the cost.

Other Gifts
Valentine’s is the time of year to show your partner how much they mean to you, not necessarily the time of year to splash the cash. Instead of buying expensive diamond necklaces or other jewellery why not focus on doing something memorable together. Leave the outrageous gifts for birthdays or Christmases, and use Valentine’s to make memories.

Depending on how much cash you do have you could buy them an experience day, maybe you could declare your love in a hot air balloon. Or why not book in for a couple’s spa day? This would give you both the chance to relax and unwind away from the strains of daily life and just enjoy each other’s company for a while.

If these ideas are a little over your budget, there are plenty of other things you could do. If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, maybe bake a cake or some cookies in the shape of hearts. A little bit of pretty packaging and he or she will be amazed at the effort you have gone to.

Valentine’s Day is a special day for most couples, or couples-to-be, but it does not have to empty your bank account. By putting more effort in and using your imagination, you could create more magical days than money could ever buy, but get started now.

Remember – the clock is ticking!

Written by : Mark is the Marketing Director at CompareandSave.com, having previously worked at a number of media agencies on various financial brands. He now splits his time between promoting CompareandSave and investigating new ways to help our readers save money. For press enquiries, please visit our Media Centre page.