Valentine’s Day 2023
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Love on a budget
Is easy to do!
Times may be hard, but love conquers all, right?!
We are nation of romantics at heart, with 40 million of us (76%) celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2021. We spent an average of £23 per person, totalling a whopping £926m.
We’re also sharing the love with our pets. In 2018, American Express revealed that one in five of us planned to buy a Valentine’s gift for our pets, with an average spend of £5, totalling £27m!
Solo celebrations are also becoming popular. In 2020, 25% of us planned to treat ourselves for Valentine’s Day, spending an average of £12.50 each (£155 million in total).
So, as it turns out, you definitely can put a price on love.
Valentine’s Day is big business! It’s becoming increasingly commercialised with gifts now including flowers, jewellery, cuddly toys, trinkets and chocolates, not to mention romantic meals and getaways, as well as a traditional card.
Given the increased cost of living, now is a good time to rethink our spending habits and get back to true values. Valentine’s Day is about showing affection and appreciation – it doesn’t have to cost the earth. If you buy gifts for your loved one (whether human or the four-legged kind), why not consider these budget friendly, low waste options?
- Show your eternal love by buying a house plant instead of cut flowers – it will last much longer
- Create a scrapbook of special times and mementos
- Make a homemade card and add your own personalised message from the heart
- Consider buying upcycled gifts
- Go for a stroll – seafront, woodland, local neighbourhood or somewhere with special memories. Make a homemade drink in a reusable cup and go!
- Make a date jar
- Buy from independent retailers or Etsy
- Give a gift experience, promise or subscription
- Give a promise to do something that you know your loved one will really like
- Wrap presents in fabric or brown paper. Fabric can be reused and brown paper can be recycled easily
- Have a picnic – indoors or outdoors!
- Give the gift of relaxation with these homemade pamper products
- Make homemade chocolates to avoid packaging
- Cook together! Try something new, a favourite dish or something fancy.
- Create a reusable gift box and fill with treats for your pet – check out YouTube for homemade pet-friendly recipes.
- Lastly, if you’re enjoying some a bottle of bubbly, don’t forget to recycle the bottle!
So if you’re spoiling your partner, pet or yourself this Valentine’s Day, share the love with your pocket and planet, too!