Valentine’s Day: Follow these 5 points so that money does not play a spoilsport

Love reigns supreme on Valentine’s Day. Instead of getting carried away with the price of your gift – you should instead dwell upon whether it can buy her ‘happiness’.

Remember that a nicely-wrapped small gift item that is given along with a beautifully hand-written note can probably do more magic than an expensive gift. At the same time, what would turn out to be more useful to her/him is recommended over a gift that boasts of nothing besides a price tag.

In the matters of love, ingenuity and creativity can trump over obscene display of wealth. And when you know the person intimately, you are aware of what she likes, what makes her happy, and what is sure to bring a disarming smile on her face.

So, be mindful of all that and play your cards well. And before you invite her on the special occasion of Valentine’s Day, make sure you follow these points.

Things to remember before buying her a gift:

1. Perfume over painting: When you want to simply impress her through sheer extravagance, it is better you have access to wealth. But if you don’t have, it is better to buy her something she will find useful, for instance a perfume or an attractive bag, instead of a rare piece of art – which will surely be exorbitantly expensive but may not be useful in any practical way.

2. A message with gift: Instead of gifting her an expensive smartphone, you can instead buy any decent smartphone and complement it with a hand-written message that says: “An ordinary phone for someone extra-ordinary”. This will do more magic than you can imagine.

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3. Personal preferences reign supreme: Sometimes, it is important to hand over a bespoke gift that she would treasure rather than going by the price tag alone.

For instance, if your loved one was planning to buy an out-of-print book which is currently not readily available, then arranging it and gifting her will please her no end.

4. Investment over expenditure: If you buy her something that is a form of investment, then even a small investment now will far outweigh the current price. And it is any day better than spending a large sum of money upfront.

For instance, some mutual fund units may be worth Rs 5,000 now but will grow in size in time. On the other hand, spending money on an expensive dress which she would wear only once in a year is not a wise use of money.

5. Experience over style: When you are planning to go for a dinner, then what matters is the experience of meeting your loved one, and not merely the brand recall of restaurant chain where you plan to dine.

Even if it is a not-so-famous eatery, the nice ambience and location of restaurant can surely make up for it. On the other hand, despite being famous — if you end up waiting for 40 minutes for your turn at the restaurant, it is not worth visiting the place.