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The Financial Adviser Valentine’s Day Savings Tips

by Crystal Brook Advisors

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to give extra appreciation to that special person in your life, and more recently it has become a holiday where we splurge on extravagant gifts, treats, and restaurant visits.

According to a recent study, the average person celebrating Valentine’s Day in the U.S. spend $180 on this special day, however, there is one group that spends over double this amount. Millennial men 18-34 (age) spend an average of $371 on this romantic holiday, according to Nerd Wallet. Although this might make your special someone happy, your wallet is not going to be quite as enthusiastic. As a result, we have put together simple tips and alternatives that will make your better half happy, without breaking your bank. Here are our Financial Adviser’s Valentine’s Day Savings Tips:

Credit Card Strategies

Take advantage of reward and partners program. If you are going to spend the money, you might as well earn some points you can use at a later date. Research your credit card programs, as some reward programs let you earn extra points from both restaurant purchases and flight tickets. Something to consider if you are taking your Valentine to a nice dinner or a weekend getaway. Also, look into if your credit card company partners with any merchants. This usually happens around holidays, so you might be able to score good deals on gifts, restaurants, or flight tickets. Keep a lookout for promotional newsletters, coupons from your reward company and do some digging on their website and social media. Or, you could simply give them a call.

Flowers

Flowers is another popular Valentine’s gift and is usually increased in price for the holiday. If you still want to buy flowers, make sure you purchase and deliver them yourself to avoid the high delivery fee. In order for the flowers to last as long as possible, be cautious of where you buy your flowers and the conditions they are stored in. For best quality, go to a flower vendor or farmer’s market where the flowers are kept in cold storage. This is especially important for roses, as these will last much longer. Also, make sure to buy the flowers that have not fully bloomed yet. Although these might not look as pretty right now, they will look great in a day or two. If you are in New York City, I would recommend heading to the flower market district on 28th Street between 6th and 7th avenue.

A good alternative to flowers would be to print out a picture of you and that special someone and put it into a nice picture frame. Also, look into “What I Love about You by Me” book. You can purchase this for $10 at UncommonGoods.

Treats

If your Valentine has a sweet tooth, a good tip would be to step away from the usual chocolate boxes and put together a nice care package of his/her favorite store candy instead. This will end up being cheaper and you get much more for your value. If you still feel like splurging on really good candy, check out Sockerbit at 89 Christopher Street. They have amazing sweets from Sweden – totally worth the splurge.

If you want a great alternative to expensive candies, check out your local store’s sorbet selection. Sorbet is usually fairly cheap, and it is also not a heavy and filling treat. If you are feeling really ambitious, you could even use frozen fruit and make your own sorbet. Check out a great grapefruit sorbet recipe here.

Restaurants

Restaurants usually create Valentine’s Day Prix Fix Menus and increase the prices significantly. In order to avoid this, try to book your date a few days before or after, as the prices will be lowered, and the restaurants will be less crowded. For Valentine’s Day, consider heading to the grocery store and cook a great meal. Pick-up a bottle of wine on your way home. If you want a great bottle of red that is affordable, check out Juan Gil. It is about $14 a bottle and goes well with most types of food. Cooking at home will create a much more intimate setting and allows you to be undisturbed. It’s also a great opportunity to impress him/her with your cooking skills. For great and easy to follow recipes check out The Iron You.

Jewelry

Giving gifts after Valentine’s Day is tricky, however, you can save big bucks if you are planning on buying jewelry. If you hold off until after February 14, demand for jewelry plummets and retailers usually offer large discounts. If you explain this to your significant other, they will more than likely understand. Make it up to them by buying a nice piece of jewelry (that’s still a bargain).

If you have any questions about these tips or other questions we can help you with, contact our Certified Financial Planner at info@crystalbrookadvisors.com.

Happy Valentine!