By Laura Daily
I'm a bit of a Valentine's Day Scrooge - not to the point where I want to impale Cupid on his own arrows, but I burn at the idea of shelling out serious bucks to prove my devotion to my sweetie for one day in mid-February.
Of course I - and anyone who feels the same way - can skip the holiday altogether. But if you do enjoy Valentine's Day, you can celebrate it without breaking the bank. Here's advice from chocolate and flower experts on how to get the most for your money.
Chocolates
Those iconic heart-shaped boxes of chocolates filling grocery store displays were probably produced last summer, because large manufacturers have a lead time of six to eight months from production to shelf. That's not to say the sweets are inedible, though. Manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure freshness. The big-name candy companies make the same chocolates year-round. Only the packaging changes. Yep, those same chocolate-coated creams, nuts and caramels that were encased in snowflake-festooned shrink-wrap now reside inside a Valentine's Day-themed box.
Artisan chocolate, by contrast, is made by hand in small batches. It's fresh and carefully crafted. You can generally find diverse offerings and unusual flavour combinations that may only be available for a short time. Although artisan chocolatiers aren't immune to inflation, they don't increase their prices for Valentine's Day.
Shop smarter
Go for the good stuff. Seek out an artisan chocolate retailer, where you will probably find not only a wide variety of flavour profiles, but also handmade pieces that often resemble tiny works of art. Customize your gift box with six to eight pieces. Then, maybe gift it with a rose or two. That may be a better gift than a 40-piece box and a dozen grocery store roses.
Watch for pre-Valentine's Day sales. Mass-market retailers want to sell merchandise. If items aren't moving at a pace they want, you may start to see discounts or buy-one-get-one-free offers on heart-shaped boxes starting the first week of February.
Don't pay for packaging. Stroll the candy aisle of your local supermarket or big-box store. You may find assorted chocolates or other confections without the Valentine's Day trappings for a lower price. If you still want to give your gift a holiday look, simply repackage the contents in a festive container.
Shop the day after. If money is tight but you still want to tell someone you love them, head to stores on Feb. 15, when retailers typically cut prices on Valentine's Day candy by about 50 percent or more. After all, they want to clear the shelves for all that Easter chocolate
Skip red and pink. Talk to your florist about the best value on non-red flowers. "Everyone wants red or pink roses," Drummond says. Going with something off the beaten path, such as lavender snapdragons or hydrangea, can be a less expensive - and more creative - option.
Bypass flowers altogether. Consider live potted plants, bulbs or flowering succulents. African violets, tulips, orchids, hyacinths and cyclamen are affordable alternatives that will outlast fresh flowers, which often fade after a few days.
Deliver early or late. Have flowers delivered on Feb. 11, 12 or 13, so they have a chance to hydrate, open their buds and look their best on Feb. 14. This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Monday, so some florists will offer a discount if you choose Friday delivery. Include a card that says, "I couldn't wait to say I love you." Or spread out gifts over "Valentine's Week," earmarking roses for Feb. 17 or 18, around when their prices return to normal.
This article first appeared in Saturday Insider, Feb 5, 2022