6 tips for saving on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, or São Valentim's Day, is celebrated in Portugal on February 14th and is the perfect excuse for couples to celebrate their love even more. But it doesn't need to be a day driven by consumerism: Often, presence, small actions, and gestures are enough to pamper your other half. So, discover 6 zero or low-cost ideas for celebrating this day, then. low cost

Organize a digital surprise

Nowadays, with the digital world, it is simpler to organize surprises through the internet, capable of being equally or more touching than a large gift.

But what kind of digital surprises? For example, you can gather some photos and create a video, using specific and intuitive applications.  

You can also prepare an online challenge, such as a survey, through a few questions about the relationship, and, depending on the number of correct answers, offer small gestures (like a massage, for example).  

Install discount apps  

To avoid spending too much money on gifts, look for discounts. There are discount aggregating apps that show the current discounts available in stores across various categories.

As is the case with these apps:

• Hello
• Bownty
• Forretas.com

Dinner: Cook together.

Another funny program to not spend money on going out to dinner at a restaurant, is cooking together at home.

You can choose a challenging recipe to make together, such as sushi pieces, and it will be a different night.

4. DIY garment - Making by hand is cheaper.

This tip is classic: instead of buying a more expensive gift, why not buy materials and make your own present?

At a low cost, you can, for example, buy a frame, print a photo, or buy an envelope to write a letter to your partner, and offer a more emotional memento.

5. Can't offer anything material? Offer stock vouchers instead 

If you don't want or can't offer a material gift, don't worry. There are ways to work around this issue!  

A good idea may be to customize stock certificates, so your partner can use them in various occasions. 

In other words, for example, a voucher for "Worth a day saying yes to everything", "Worth an order of your favorite food", "Worth a day with more pampering than usual", "Worth a movie night with movies of your choice".  

This is a way to not have an immediate expense, and to promote more couple activities, avoiding consumerism.

Small gestures are worth more than big expenses.

If romance is your strength, but you want to save on this day, remember: Sometimes, small gestures are worth more than big spending.

Why not bet on small treats throughout the day , to show your loved one that you remembered them on this day?  

For example, you can start leaving sticky notes with small messages around the house, car, or your partner's daily routine; if you live together, start the day by bringing them breakfast in bed, sending flowers or chocolates to their workplace, or leaving them at a strategic place where they will find them; cooking and preparing a candlelit dinner, among other gestures that do not involve a large cost.  

These are some ideas for you to save as much as possible on this day, while keeping your presence (and flame) alive.

If you want to save on other expenses, such as credits and insurances, know that there are some options such as reviewing contracts or transferring them to other entities. If you want to understand how much you could save with these solutions, talk to a credit intermediary/insurance mediator from Poupança no Minuto!