Valentine’s Day is meant to celebrate love as well as show appreciation for the special people in your life and it’s okay to spoil your loved ones, but make sure that you have planned and budgeted for it.
Dhashni Naidoo, FNB Consumer Education Programme Manager said: “Wanting to spoil our loved ones is natural and there is nothing wrong with doing that. But we should not spend money that we did not budget for or use credit to buy gifts. We can still enjoy this special day by keeping it simple and look for creative ways to spoil our loved ones.”
Here are five tips to help you plan and budget for Valentine’s Day:
Plan ahead
Make sure that you plan and budget for this day of love before time. This will allow you to purchase your gifts with a clear conscience knowing you are not overspending your money and getting yourself into financial trouble.
Make use of rewards or loyalty programmes
Take advantage of the reward incentives that retailers offer customers. You can use your rewards or points to pay for gifts or vouchers instead of paying out of pocket or using a credit card.
Be on the lookout for specials
Retailers will offer customers discounts for products and services that are in-demand. Make sure that you compare prices before your purchase anything so you can get the best deal.
Think about eating in
Instead of going to a restaurant, spoil your partner or family with a home-cooked meal. You can try new recipes or get the whole family involved by doing a cook-off.
Get creative
Try to make a gift for your loved one instead of buying something from the shops or do a less expensive activity that gets all of your loved ones involved like a picnic.
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