First Person: Saving Money on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is far and away one of my least favorite holidays. Part of this is probably because I'm a man, but the other part is because of the ridiculous hype that surrounds the holiday. Nowadays it all just seems so consumer driven, and focused so heavily on the purchase and giving of material items rather than the putting of any real thought into the day.

My outlook means that when it comes time to throw money at the holiday, I'd prefer not to, choosing instead to attempt to come up with ideas and ways of showing my love in a somewhat meaningful way. While I'm not saying everyone should stop spending money on Valentine's Day, I don't feel it necessary to go excessively overboard in our efforts.

Here are a few of the things I do, and guidelines I follow to make the Valentine's holiday meaningful, memorable, and not waste a lot of money in the process.

Know Your Valentine

This tip might seem silly at first, but it can keep a prospective valentine giver from wasting a lot of time, money, and effort on gifts or plans that the receiver actually cares little about. It's easy to get caught up in those Valentine's Day advertisements and buy things that you have been conditioned to associated with the day (diamond this or chocolate that, flowers, naughty treats, etc.) or items that you would like, but she might not be that in to (ahem, lingerie?). I could send my little lady diamond earrings (that she'd never wear) or give her chocolates (that she'd never eat), but I know what she likes and why veer from the course of success?

My valentine loves to go out to eat. This is an especially unique treat since we don't do it that often. But heading out to a restaurant isn't as easy as you might think. She has particular preferences when it comes to restaurants, and finding one that works for Valentine's Day isn't always simple as it sounds. Using what I know about her however; I can usually find a spot that we both like and that works for her special day.

Plan Ahead

I know that getting swept up in the atmosphere of Valentine's Day can be easy, especially since it's happened to me, and I don't even particularly care that much about it. Therefore, I typically try to plan far in advance to help keep me away from ridiculous impulse buys that I might regret later. By getting my plan, purchases and reservations in place early, before all those lovey dovey commercials start airing on the tube, or all those brightly colored displays start popping up in stores, I can avoid last minute decisions that can prove poor gift choices as well as ones that could end up costing me significantly more because they are last minute.

Outline a Budget

While it's great to let loose once and a while and show your love by splurging with money, this doesn't necessarily mean you need to be excessive with your purchases. There are plenty of ways to illustrate the fact that you love someone without spending a ton of money. One way I tend to do this is to set a Valentine's Day budget. By doing so, I have some guidelines and constraints to keep me within the boundaries of what is reasonable. This can also help force me to think outside the box and come up with some new and creative ways to show my love. Spending money just to buy things for someone is easy, but coming up with unique and thoughtful ideas can be much more difficult and can show just how much I really care.

Pre-shop

I hate buying flowers. I think they're a waste of money. But that's me. My mother on the other hand likes getting flowers. So, on Valentine's Day I send them; but this doesn't mean that this is when I order them.

Pre-ordering or pre-shopping is a great way to save money on Valentine's Day. It doesn't matter if I pay full price at the last minute or 75% of that price two months in advance, the flowers are the same either way, so why not pay less? My valentine won't know that I'm getting a free appetizer at dinner, a stuffed teddy bear with my purchase, or that those flowers cost me twenty dollars less just because I planned ahead.

The spending of money doesn't always equal love -- often the opposite in some instances -- and if I can find ways to save by pre-shopping for items, it doesn't mean I love my valentine any less, it just means I'm a smart shopper.

More from this contributor:
Valentine's Day: 5 Fun Ways to Surprise Your Girl
Valentine's Day Gifts Just for Him
Valentine's Day Gifts Just for Her

Disclaimer: The author is not a licensed financial professional. The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For financial advice, readers should consult a licensed financial advisor. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is solely at the reader's discretion.