5 Tips to Professing Your Love on a Budget

Jennifer Lopez said, “Love don’t cost a thing”, and it really doesn’t have to. Thanks, J-Lo!

When you think love, of course you think about the color red. Did you know, the color red could mean so much to so many. In China, for example, the color red is held high in their culture. It means all good things: money, fortune, good health and good luck to name a few.

Every year, we tend to spend way too much green to show our love.

• Find a better credit card here.

According to a study of Americans over 18 by the National Retail Federation: guys celebrating Valentines Day plan to spend about $120 on their significant other. Ladies seem to “mail-it-in”, spending just $60. (Can you tell a man is writing this article?)

My wife agrees with those numbers, telling me, “of course it’s easy to only spend 60-bucks. What exactly do I buy? A bottle of cologne and call it good”, she laughs.

It’s all in the name of love, and every February 14th, mark your calendars guys, we open our wallets and spend — but you actually can spoil your sweetie, without breaking the bank. You just need a little inspiration.

Who better to help than Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali at PartyBluPrints. I called them up for a little advice on looking like a million bucks while spending nowhere near that. The party planners pulled out their Flip camera and sent me this video message, to share with you.

See more tips from PartyBluPrints

Be Frugal with Flowers:

Roses are red, violets are blue, but if you really want to be frugal with flowers — I’ve got some tips for you.

• Even though Madonna says, “long-stemmed roses are the way to her heart”, short-stemmed roses will impress her just as much and keep up to $20 in your pocket.
• Pick and choose single flowers and build a bouquet. This is much cheaper than pre-arranged bundles and more budgets friendly.
• Tell the florist to keep that glass vase. Give your valentine the flowers in paper and let them decide how to present your gift.
• Don’t need flowers? Buy a plant. They last longer than flowers and can be enjoyed all year long.

Here’s more tips on saving on flowers: Check out this story from Stacy Johnson.

Shine like Gold, Buy On a Budget.

Here’s an extensive article on saving on jewelry from Stacy. Read the text, watch the video, learn all about how to buy gold, pearls, gems and diamonds.

Another idea? Wherever you buy, don’t pay the asking price. Even if it’s just asking the jeweler to absorb the cost of the sales tax, try to negotiate.

Take a Tip From the Kids.

Buy some colored paper and colored pencils or borrow some from the kids, and make your own card. You’ll save a bunch of Benjamins and you’ll have a chance to be creative and really tell that person how you feel about them.

One woman tells me, “I think it would be really cute, that he took the time and made an effort that’s out of the ordinary and that he thought about me”.

Dining Without a lot of Dollars.

While a candle lit dinner at a fancy restaurant is romantic, it’s even more so if you plan a little time alone with some pre-planning at your local grocery store.

• Buy boxed wine. It’s cheaper and your valentine won’t know the difference once it’s in a nice wine glass.
• Buy a nice cut of store-brand meat. Look for Filet Mignon, for example, that isn’t wrapped in bacon.
• Go with strawberries for desert and a little sweet cream. Romantic and not all that expensive

Check out our Search Engine for dinner deals here.