Valentine’s Day can be expensive. From the flowers to the candy, to the dinner out and jewelry gifts, you might be wondering if there is a smarter way to spend your hard-earned dollars on the romantic holiday. The truth is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show your loved ones you care.

We asked our readers what they planned to do to save a buck this Valentine’s Day. Here are 14 of their best money-saving Valentine’s Day tips!

RELATED: 8 places to get the best deals on Valentine’s Day flowers

Save on Valentine’s Day with these ideas

1. Take advantage of 2-for-1 dinners.
2. Spend time with each other instead of buying gifts.
3. Take advantage of winter travel rates.
4. Cook and bake at home. (One person even mentioned splurging on steak and lobster dinner with chocolate cake at home!)
5. Buy flowers at Costco, Trader Joe's or Aldi. (These stores really do have some of the best deals on flowers.)
6. Buy Valentine's day merchandise after Valentine's Day. (It pays to wait until a few days after!)
7. Stay single. (True enough. Hooters is offering free wings for singles on Valentine's Day…)
8. Watch movies at home instead of going out to the movies. (You can't beat Redbox!)
9. Ignore it.  This was an idea several folks had: "Don't celebrate it. That's what anniversaries are for." "Sleep through it." "Ignore it completely."
10. Create DIY cards, flowers and gifts. You can certainly save money by being creative!
11. Just be kind. Love doesn't mean you have to buy someone something.
12. Just say, "happy Valentine's Day." Short and sweet!
13. Watch for the sales.
14. Take advantage of coupons.
15. Bonus: Watch out for romance scams that can steal you money!

How Clark saves money on Valentine’s Day

If you’ve ever wondered how Clark saves on Valentine’s Day, here are his tips!

Clark gets his wife flowers from Costco 10 days before Valentine’s Day before prices spike and spends $16.99 on a dozen. Another great option is Aldi — you can get a single red rose for $1.08! Nurseries can cut flowers at good prices too.

The Dollar Store is one of Clark’s favorite for seasonal items, and he says he only spends $28 in all for his wife and two daughters. And ditch the delivery — why not deliver the goods yourself?

Another thing Clark recommends is to buy your Valentine’s Day candy the day after Valentine’s — you’ll save up to 75%!

What other ways have you found to save on Valentine’s Day? Share your tips in the comments below!

RELATED: Valentine’s Day done the Clark Smart way

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