First Person: Money Saving Tips for Valentines Day Flowers

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-person-money-saving-tips-valentines-day-flowers-174800969.html

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Listen up, Guys. Valentines Day will be here before you know it and you’re going to be in the market for some flowers for your sweetheart. Sure you can stop by the closest florist and spend half your pay check on an arrangement. Or you can save money on flowers and make your honey happy with these tips for buying Valentines Day flowers that will look great on February 14 and for quite a while after.

Go for quality not quantity. Sure, if you can afford a dozen of the best roses, go for it, but, if not, a half a dozen of the best is far better than a dozen of the second best and one perfect, specially selected rose in her favorite color can be an incredibly romantic gesture.
Deliver flowers yourself, if possible. Not only will save the delivery charge, but presenting your sweetheart with flowers personally on Valentines Day is far more romantic than having them handed over by an anonymous delivery person, and she will have the opportunity to show her gratitude up close and  You may be better off buying flowers at a nice supermarket or your warehouse club if they are refrigerated than at your local florist if they have been sitting in the open air. Refrigeration keeps them fresher, and they are likely to last longer, so you will get more for your money with refrigerated flowers.

Don’t buy flowers from the road side stands that pop up around the holidays. Yes, it’s convenient to just pull over and pick out a bouquet, but you will be getting flowers that have been sitting in the open air for who knows how long and they may not be the best quality to start with. As a result, this is one of those situations where, even though the price and convenience is tempting, you are likely to get what you pay for.
Don’t order online unless you are purchasing for someone in another city and have no other option. Your online order probably will be forwarded to a local florist anyway, and you will pay much more for the convenience of online ordering than if you made the purchase in person.

Take steps to keep cut flowers fresh. After all, the longer they last, the more value you will get for your money. Look for flowers that aren’t fully opened or are just beginning to unfurl. Also, if you buy flowers before Valentines Day, if possible, keep them in your refrigerator until you are ready to deliver them. Put them in a very clean vase, cut their stems at an angle (which helps them to absorb more water) with sharp scissors, and put a packet of the preservative provided by your florist or, if you don’t have that, an aspirin in the water. You also can add a teaspoon of bleach to the water, which can help to keep it clean and clear of algae.