Deseret News | Snag deals and avoid traps while buying this Valentine's Day

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Snag deals and avoid traps while buying this Valentine's Day

Kiplinger Group

Published: Monday, Feb. 12, 2007 12:06 a.m. MST

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Looking to buy wisely and well for the love of your life this Valentine's Day? We think we can help.

You don't have to overpay. According to a survey by the Society of American Florists, a dozen long-stemmed roses cost an average of $75 at the local florist last Feb. 14, or about 30 percent more than the normal price of $58. Does buying overpriced roses and similar gifts make you a victim of marketing? Not necessarily. But you could order your roses online today and lock in everyday prices, says consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky.
Web gift sites won't buy you love. Think your husband is the man who has everything? Don't expect to find inspiration online. Sites such as Gifts.com, Surprise.com and RedEnvelope.com are far better at suggesting gifts for people you don't know well, such as business clients, than for your one-and-only. For instance, Gifts.com recently suggested a beer-on-demand machine or a personalized sports jersey for a male sports fanatic. Best advice: Ask him to put down the remote and tell you what he wants.

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You can buck the system. As you're buying online, a Web retailer may ask you for a promotional code. If so, try this trick: Open a new browser window or tab and use a search engine to type in the name of the retailer, the word code, and other terms such as promotional, discounts or coupon. You might just get links to related deals.

For example, Matt Bell, who runs the advice site Financially-Speaking.com, recently searched online for a gift for his wife from Harry and David. A search for "Harry and David code promotion" led him to a 10 percent off coupon from Visa that he could use at a local store — which meant he could skip the shipping, too. An alternative strategy: Look for codes at Alexscoupons.com and DealCatcher.com.
It's not all young love. In recent years, the bulk of Valentine's Day spending has shifted to consumers who are 45 to 54 years old, with middle-aged shoppers spending an average of $128 per person. But midlife romance isn't all about going out and spending money. If staying home and watching a movie is more your speed, Netflix's most requested romantic titles are, in order, "The Notebook," "Hitch" and "Must Love Dogs."
Fido really doesn't care. More than 9 million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine's Day, including edible greeting cards from Crunchkins (about $4; www.crunchkins.com) and a matching set of pet and human jewelry made of Swarovski crystal (about $50; www.celltei.com). Now that's marketing.