The NRF says consumers are spending an average of  $146.84 on flowers, jewelry, candy, apparel and more. Total spending is expected to reach $19.7 billion!

Don’t let a lack of money ruin your Valentines Day. We have some awesome tips on how to stretch your money (and love) further and get the biggest bang for your buck.

Money isn’t everything.

If you can’t afford to buy jewelry, use your pen and write handwritten cards. Words are cherished more than things. Even if you are not a writer, you can find awesome ideas and poems on the internet. If you are more of a creative type, Pinterest can give you cool ideas like this:

If the idea of expressing your emotions sounds worse than open heart surgery consider buying the “what I love about you” book from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knock-What-Love-About-Journal/dp/1601064934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483459813&sr=8-1&keywords=why+i+love+you+book

The Flowers.

The classic Valentine’s gift never goes out of style, but it can get costly. The US News has some great advice, “Don’t choose red – orange and yellow roses can be cheaper by $20.” Another tip, don’t buy roses, tulips are a perfect alternative and way more affordable. (Besides it’s got a very romantic name.) Still want to pay less? Leave out the vase for an instant $10-$20 saving. The main things is the flowers, right?

If you are really frugal (and don’t mind risking a breakup) you can observe the 15th instead of the 14th for slashed markdowns on everything, even the roses.

What’s Valentine’s Day without a night out?

No need to spend lots of dough on a meal. Lots of restaurant chains have hot deals for a romantic meal on Valentine’s day. Be sure to stay updated on their websites and stack them with discounted gift cards.

If you want to support your local restaurants and try something new, hit up Groupon! They have many couple specials for Valentine’s Day and may even supply the booze.

Hey, you don’t even need to share dessert now!

If you are buying jewelry, don’t just shop anywhere.

You may be able to score a deal online, but it may be worth it to stay local. Even if a diamond is certified, you may want to compare stones in person. Zales and Kay Jewelers have many deals online and in store so you may be able to get the best of both worlds. For all the clueless men out there, hearts are really in and may just be the perfect Valentine’s themed present.

Discounted gifts.

And the best choice of discounted gifts is always at CardCash.com. For her they have Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, SpaFinder and more all at over 10% off. For him, Callaway Golf (25% off), Advanced Auto Parts (17% off), Dick’s Sporting Goods (17.5% off) and much more.

Whatever your significant other really enjoys you can get it with reduced priced gift cards at CardCash’s gift card exchange.

Romantic Getaways.

Do you have leftover gift cards from Christmas? I know I do. Take Christmas’ leftovers and exchange it for a dream vacation. Wait, I’ll explain. CardCash buys unwanted gift cards and gives cash for payment. CardCash and Hotels.com joined up to provide higher payouts for gift cards in exchange for a hotels.com gift card. Try it out today: hotels.cardcash.com

And best way to keep your night romantic – don’t talk about how much money you saved :).

Convenient Gift Cards For your Valentine

Jewelry:
Kay Jewelers up to 15% off
Zales up to 13% off

Dining:
Outback Steakhouse up to 11% off
Bonefish Grill up to 14% off
Panera Bread up to 19.5% off
Olive Garden up to 8.3% off

Yummy Gifts:
Godiva up to 10.6% off
The Cheesecake Factory up to 7% off

Spa Love:
Massage Envy up to 14% off
Spafinder.com up to 8% off
Spa Week up to 18.5% off

Apparel and Face:
Sephora up to 4.6% off
Victoria’s Secret up to 6% off
Ulta up to 3.3% off
Sally Beauty up to 27.2% off

Romantic Travels:
BedandBreakfast.com up to 20% off
Marriott up to 4.6% off
American Airlines up to 3.15% off

For Him:
The Art of Shaving up to 20% off
Dick’s Sporting Goods up to 17.45% off
Brookstone up to 10% off

Please note: The prices of gift cards constantly fluctuate. Please check discount before you buy.