[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/how-to-save-on-valentines-day-in-toronto\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/how-to-save-on-valentines-day-in-toronto\/","headline":"How to Save on Valentine’s Day in Toronto","name":"How to Save on Valentine’s Day in Toronto","description":"How can you save on Valentine\u2019s Day – the most romantic day of the year?\u00a0 It may seem impossible, but really the trick is simple: spend less and get more. You don\u2019t have to fall prey to the hype and commercialization of Valentine\u2019s Day and be pressured to empty out your wallet for a crazy […]","datePublished":"2020-02-03","dateModified":"2023-01-18","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/author\/adrian\/#Person","name":"Adrian","url":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/author\/adrian\/","identifier":11,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/83c9d81e4aa2dc5936e06b9059fd4e195f1f91bcd60ccfc5e28f98dd86bae8b8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/83c9d81e4aa2dc5936e06b9059fd4e195f1f91bcd60ccfc5e28f98dd86bae8b8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Richard Killen and Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/landscape-logo-12345-for-web.png","url":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/landscape-logo-12345-for-web.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/valentine-pizza.jpg","url":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/valentine-pizza.jpg","height":504,"width":756},"url":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/how-to-save-on-valentines-day-in-toronto\/","about":["Budgeting","Financial Advice"],"wordCount":1509,"articleBody":"How can you save on Valentine\u2019s Day – the most romantic day of the year?\u00a0 It may seem impossible, but really the trick is simple: spend less and get more.You don\u2019t have to fall prey to the hype and commercialization of Valentine\u2019s Day and be pressured to empty out your wallet for a crazy expensive Valentine\u2019s Day dinner date or a pricey gift to get for your new flame or significant other. Especially just after the holidays and the damage done on your precious savings, you need to bring the focus back on your finances to spend within your means, get back on track and stay in the black.\u00a0But you don\u2019t want to be stone-cold hearted, you\u2019ve got to give the day some special attention and do at least something romantic with your partner. So even with very little money, you need to know how to spend it wisely so you can get the most bang for your buck. It\u2019s really all about making the effort to spend quality time together and making sure that both of you have an amazing Valentine day experience that\u2019s impossible to forget.Here are some ideas to make February 14th a stand-out experience without breaking the bank!\u00a0The FlowersOf course, you\u2019ve gotta give flowers on this special day most especially if this has been the norm since the start of your relationship. However, plunking down $200 for an over-the-top arrangement of long-stem roses is a bit too much when you\u2019re on a tight budget. You can buy flowers for Valentine’s Day on the cheap, here\u2019s how.\u00a0Don\u2019t buy from a florist. Buy from grocery stores, 24-hour gas stations, warehouse stores or at Local Farmers Markets, in particular stores that keep their flowers refrigerated. They can be just as long-lasting as those at a florist and are quite affordable, costing only a fraction of a bouquet from a florist.Roses are in very high demand on Valentine\u2019s Day as it\u2019s the symbol for romantic love, especially long-stemmed roses. If you want to save on Valentine\u2019s Day choose romantic floral alternatives, such as red and pink tulips, orchids, lilies or carnations. Carnations in particular are some of the cheapest flowers around and they also last around 11 days.\u00a0If you must buy roses, buy them ahead of time. Prices on roses hike up in the days before February 14, when they can go up double the price or more. Roses usually last\u00a0between five and seven days, thus you can buy them four or five days before when they may be a little cheaper compared to Valentine\u2019s Day itself.Choose flowers with tight buds.This way they still have a few days to blossom. If the buds are already open, they\u2019ll only last another day or two.DIY Valentine’s Day GiftsIt’s Valentine tradition to buy gifts for one another, but if you\u2019re strapped for cash and necessity trumps romance, it\u2019s time to roll up your sleeves and get creative. You got it right, make a gift instead of buying a gift.\u00a0 Thoughtful, handmade gifts are just as romantic, and maybe even moreso, than those big-ticket items that come with a triple-digit price tag.\u00a0Start with making your own Valentine card. Writing a personal and heartfelt message to say how you feel about your sweetheart in your own words \u2013 now that beats signing your name to a canned sentiment on a mass-produced card at any time.\u00a0There\u2019s lots of ways you can do this:\u00a0If you\u2019re an artist, you can create a lovely painting. Some good ideas would be, drawing a portrait of your significant other, or even a self-portrait is cool too, but romantic portraits of just the two of you will help you both see how much in love you are with each other.\u00a0If you have craft-making skills, create a custom made card with fancy embellishments such as glitter, beads, stickers, origami or pop-up paper designs, or any other materials you like to work with.If you\u2019re a skilled writer or expert wordsmith, express your love with the use of words in a love poem or a romantic love letter.If you\u2019re a computer whiz, design a digital card with Photoshop or any image-editing software or create animated gifs with sounds and moving images. You can simply send this by email, and if you have a long distance relationship this will work big time.Instead of buying extravagant gifts, you can try your hand on making adorable, easy-to-create projects that are made with love. Think something a bit out of the box that\u2019s a little more special and will make them feel so warm and loved inside because of the time it took to create such a piece.Here are some great Valentine gift ideas for your partner or family and friends :Make these Candy Bags or Lemon Drop Mason Jars if you can\u2019t afford to splurge on a box of gourmet chocolates.\u00a0A scrapbook or a mini collage card using memorable photos, favorite quotes or poems and laying them out with cute stickers, laces, ribbons, glitter, metallic paint and decorative paper will keep alive the memory of your love for each other.\u00a0A snow globe with heart motifs is also a sweet gift idea.If you\u2019re into sewing, you can stitch up a heart-shaped table runner or a pretty home decor for a perfect gift to a friend to use at a Valentine’s Day party.Food gifts will definitely be appreciated by your sweetheart and everyone else that has a sweet tooth! Try baking this Heart-Shaped Cake or a batch of these Mini Rosebud Cupcakes.Remember, there’s no better gift than something handmade. Make use of your personal skills, whatever those may be, to express your love without having to empty your wallet.\u00a0For Affordable Date IdeasIf you\u2019re going out for Valentine’s Day dinner, remember restaurants are packed and no doubt you\u2019ll have to pay more to have special menus for the evening. Why not swap eating out for some less traditional gestures that will make the special meal of the day just as romantic.Try to cook a meal for your special someone, or if your date is up for it, cook dinner together and then have a romantic Valentine\u2019s dinner in the dining room, or for added romance, maybe do dinner in bed. Wouldn\u2019t it be more lovely to spend the night relaxing over good food and pleasant company, instead of with strangers?\u00a0For a more eclectic but affordable date experience, there are more than enough free things to do to celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day around downtown Toronto.You can go ice skating under the romantic Toronto night sky at various skating trails across GTA for a perfect Valentine\u2019s date. You and your date will have fun trying to decide between going to the classic Nathan Phillips Square or to the brand-new College Park skating trail. Or maybe skating and dancing the night away at DJ Skate Nights at the Harbourfront Centre is more your thing.\u00a0It also costs nothing to visit Toronto\u2019s historic Distillery District to enjoy the Toronto Light Festival. You can enjoy a romantic stroll throughout the streets and enjoy live music, sample alcoholic drinks and check out the vibrant exhibits of local and international light artists.\u00a0If you\u2019re looking for that not-your-average date idea, why not give away some love on Valentine\u2019s day to celebrate love\u2019s biggest holiday. What can be sweeter than spending the day with someone who doesn’t have a Valentine of their own. Whether you\u2019re single or a couple, you can spread some love around to those who really need it on this special day. Why not visit a sick elderly relative or someone who has recently lost a loved one? You can simply give them a hug and kiss and talk to them for awhile and it will surely brighten up their day.\u00a0 If you\u2019re ready to give more love, take it up a notch and try volunteering for a good cause. Volunteering is great throughout the year, but especially on Valentine\u2019s Day for people who might otherwise feel left out. Check out your local listings or Volunteer Toronto for ideas on where you can lend a helping hand.With these tips on how to save money on Valentine\u2019s day you won\u2019t have to spend a good chunk of your savings account on lavish bouquets, fancy jewelry, or big boxes of gourmet chocolates. The idea is to at least do something personal and romantic on February 14th, you know, all that wonderful, sappy stuff that comes straight from your heart. It\u2019s okay to change things up a bit. There are many ways to still be able to show your loved ones how much they mean to you, without having to cost too much."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"How to Save on Valentine’s Day in Toronto","item":"https:\/\/rkillen.ca\/how-to-save-on-valentines-day-in-toronto\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]