Digital Media Centre

HEART OVER POUNDS WIN VALENTINE’S DAY

• New research has found 4 in 10 Brits overspend trying to make a big gesture on Valentine’s Day
• One in three Millennials have missed out on birthdays, nights out and sporting events to cover the cost of an expensive gesture
• The research is part of an on-going nationwide campaign to help Brits make savings of up to £600 a year

For anyone planning on repeating a big, costly grand gesture inspired by a celebrity or scene in a film this Valentine’s Day, think again!

New research commissioned by Aldi as part of its ‘Aldinomics’ financial help campaign, has revealed that more than two in five (43%) people admit to overspending on lavish gifts and expensive presents on what is considered the most romantic day of the year.

Indeed, the research suggests the average Brit spends £127 on Valentine’s Day, with Millennials spending almost three times this figure (£358), which has resulted in one in three missing out an important social occasion, such as birthdays, sporting events and nights out with friends and family to cover the cost of the romantic gesture.

Interestingly, the survey of 2,000 people up and down the country found that winning hearts without emptying wallets was the best route, compared with lavish, expensive offerings.

When asked to put a monetary value on receiving simple and inexpensive gestures, not their actual value in cost terms, items such as a romantic trip to a beauty spot, personally made or home-made gifts and a thoughtful scrapbook or collage were worth more than a date to a favourite restaurant and flowers.

Breakdown of cheapest but thoughtful gifts in Britons’ eyes (monetary value of receiving gesture, not real cost terms)

1. Romantic trip to a beauty spot – £131
2. Personally made or home-made gifts – £100
3. Scrapbook or thoughtful collage – £82
4. Home cooked meal – £68
5. Breakfast in bed – £46

In fact, when asked to rank different romantic gestures and gifts, some of the top-scoring options were some of the cheapest; a home cooked meal was revealed to be the nation’s most popular choice with 41% of the vote, whilst traditional options like jewellery and lingerie scored significantly less, with 7.6% and 4.9% of the vote respectively.

Not only do we appreciate the more thoughtful gestures, but almost a third of respondents (27%) revealed that their elaborate and expensive shows of affection had backfired, with 7% going on to break up that same day.

For Millennials, this rises to 64% who have had a big romantic gesture backfire, with a whopping 1 in 4 breaking up on Valentine’s Day.

Aldi’sSchool of Aldinomics launched last month and aims to help Brits adopt the supermarket’s Aldinomical way of thinking. The free online platform offers users advice and practical tips to help them be savvier with their time and money – including exclusive advice from financial expert Emmanuel Asuquo.

Savvy shoppers looking to impress their valentine with a homecooked meal next Monday can find a selection of romantic dinners for two at Aldi, with prices for two courses and a bottle of wine starting from just £14.16 per couple[1].

[1] 2 Pack King Prawn & Scallop Thermidor (£3.99), 2 Prawn & White Wine Salmon Wellington (£4.29), Potato Dauphinose (£1.99), Cambalala Sauvignon Blanc (£3.89)