Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is big business. Nearly half (45%) of UK adults will celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, budgeting £83 on average, according to NerdWallet’s latest research into how Brits are budgeting for special occasions in 2025 – significantly more than the classic card, flowers and chocolates combo.
Valentine’s marketing can create pressure to spend money on presents and experiences, straining budgets recovering from Christmas spending. Restaurants and hotels often mark up prices on Valentine’s Day itself, making it harder to get good value for money.
Mindset and money coach Laura Ann Moore says Valentine’s Day has become “a stress-inducing holiday that pressurises you into feeling you have to spend lots of money on your partner to affirm your love for them.”
Time spent with your partner matters more than what you spend on treats. However, if you’d like to buy them something different this year, here are four thoughtful gifts that show you can be romantic and smart with your cash.
Gadgets that help you spend less
Gift #1: Coffee machine
Going out for a coffee compared with making it at home can add up to a surprising amount of “non-essential” spending. Instead of frequenting a local cafe, a romantic coffee date at home can cost a fraction of the price.
Run the numbers
A couple buying a £4 coffee each on work days plus a café trip at the weekend could spend almost £2,500 per year on coffee alone (sandwiches, cakes or treats will add even more).
Pod-style coffee machines often appear on sites like GumTree and Facebook Marketplace for as little as £20. At the time of writing, a pack of 10 Starbucks coffee pods costs £2.95 in Asda – less than 30p per coffee. Swap 12 café coffees (£4 each) for 12 homemade ones weekly and you could save over £2,000 a year.
Before you buy…
Higher-value coffee machines (such as the bean-to-cup variety) can cost hundreds of pounds. If pooling your money together would enable you to buy a higher quality piece of kit, consider suggesting a joint purchase instead of individual Valentine’s gifts.
Gift #2: Air Fryer
Turn up the heat at home with this popular kitchen gadget to help you cut down on fast food, takeaways and restaurant bills.
“Making it more enjoyable, fun or attractive to cook at home instead of ordering food or eating out can be a great way to save money”, says Laura, adding, “Air fryers are all the rage at the moment.”
Run the numbers
Air fryers typically have a power rating between 1,500W and 2,400W, costing around £2 per week, or less, to run if used daily for 30 minutes. If you spend £50 per week on takeaways and meals out, the air fryer could save you almost £2,000 per year (with ingredients already taken into account).
Before you buy…
Consider how your partner will feel about a practical gift. “People like to express love in a particular way, which might not be the way that your partner likes to receive it,” says Rotimi Merriman-Johnson, a financial advisor and founder of financial education site MrMoneyJar. Take the love languages quiz to better understand your partner’s preferences.
At-home experiences
Gift idea #3: Gym kit
Gym memberships can be one of the first costs to cut when money gets tight. Basic home gym equipment, such as a good quality exercise mat, can make keeping fit more affordable.
Fitness-related gifts can also show your partner you support their wellness goals. If you’re up for working out together, even better.
Run the numbers
In the UK, a gym membership costs an average of around £38 per month. If yoga is your vibe, investing in a pair of mats (for you and your partner) and using free, online videos, could save you almost £1000 per year compared to a couple of annual gym memberships. You can find a decent non-slip mat for as little as £20 online.
Before you buy…
“Anything to do with health and leisure is a dangerous area unless you’ve both committed to getting fit,” says consumer expert Martyn James. For someone who feels insecure about their weight, exercise-related gifts could offend, he explains. Embarking on a fitness challenge together takes the pressure off one person and also creates more quality time together. If you decide to explore a couples gym membership, read our tips on maximising what you get for your monthly fee.
Gift idea #4: Disco ball
If your partner loves music and dancing, order a disco ball online for less than £10 and create your own private nightclub or Strictly-style ballroom!
Rotimi told NerdWallet that his girlfriend surprised him by turning their living room into a club. “We drank and we danced for two or three hours, just the two of us… it was one of the best presents she’s ever given me,” he said.
Swapping expensive nights out for cheaper nights in can be particularly helpful where willpower is concerned. Clubs, festivals and restaurants are “designed to extract as much money from you as possible… so try to put yourself in an environment where you’re less likely to be sold to,” Rotimi advises.
Run the numbers
In London, dancing the night away at home saves on entry fees (around £20), taxis (up to £34 for four miles after 10pm), and drinks. Many bars in the capital charge £10 for a gin and tonic or £7 for a pint. For the same price, you could buy ten cans of lager and eight pre-mixed gin and tonics at supermarkets like Sainsbury’s or Asda.
Before you buy…
If your partner is expecting tickets to Coachella, a kitchen disco might not hit the spot, so manage their expectations around surprises. Discuss where holidays and nights out sit in your financial priority list and agree on how you’ll work towards those goals. For example, if you have multiple streaming services, consider cancelling some subscriptions and moving the money you saved into a shared savings pot, suggests Rotimi.
Valentine’s Dos and Don’ts
- Do consider low cost gifts you can personalise.
Martyn recommends a notebook and pens, “so you can build a book of things you want to do and places you want to explore.”
- Don’t expect your partner to feel the same way about gifts as you do.
“Everyone has different relationships to money so be willing to listen and share without expecting a certain outcome,” says Laura.
- Do consider dates on either side of 14th February.
“If you’re planning on doing a spontaneous city break to Paris, you will find that the prices will suddenly go bonkers,” warns Martyn. Ask your partner whether they’d prefer to do something on Valentine’s Day itself, or get more for your money on an alternative date.
- Don’t assume practical gifts aren’t romantic.
“To notice something your partner wants or needs, that they will use often, is beautifully romantic,” says Laura.
- Do celebrate your love on other days.
Every couple has milestones they can celebrate throughout the year, while Valentine’s Day is “universally imposed upon everyone,” says Rotimi. Celebrate occasions unique to your relationship, like your wedding anniversary, or the anniversary of your first date. “If you can’t do something for Valentine’s Day there will be more opportunities to show the person that you’re with how much you love them”.
Image source: Getty Images
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