Now we’re right in the swing of saving for FebuSave and thinking more frugally, my husband and I thought we’d forget about the flowers, chocolate and restaurants for Valentine’s Day and concentrate on spending some time together instead, which costs us nothing!
Last year he had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered on our wedding anniversary, which falls in January, and then followed this with a beautiful charm for my Sabo bracelet for Valentine’s Day. Between these two presents hundreds of dollars were spent – and that doesn’t even include the gifts I bought for him.
This year we decided our present to each other for Valentine’s Day was time together. As parents of two young boys this is a gift that was exceptionally meaningful. Like many parents, we are usually so exhausted by the end of the day that an in-depth conversation right into the night like we used to indulge in is completely out of the question.
My husband prepared a special dinner in for the night, instead of us eating out, saving on the meal, wine and babysitting. He did spend more than he would on an everyday meal, but it was a fraction of the cost of going out to a restaurant. We indulged in Peterson’s House Blush, which had been bought a while ago for a special occasion, so we didn’t even need to worry about a wine list. Our evening together started once the boys had gone to bed, so there was no need organise anyone to babysit.
We spent hours talking about our hopes, dreams, plans, worries, ideas and children, leaving the TV off for the night. Our conversation, the wonderful meal and the chance to being together as a couple was the best present we could have given each other – and it was a fraction of the cost of an expensive meal and long-stemmed roses. Of course I love both of those as much as the next girl, but concentrating on saving during ANZ’s FebuSave campaign has made us more aware of where we are spending money. It will be a present I cherish for years to come.
What savings have you made this month?
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