The Financial Advantage of Being Single on Valentine’s Day

With the onset of February comes the realization that Valentine’s Day is near! In the Philippines, a majority of people celebrate the month of love, whether single or not. While those in a relationship celebrate the romantic holiday with their significant other, this time of the year is particularly advantageous to those riding solo, too.

What are those perks, you might ask? Let’s consider the practical side. According to a 2019 survey by Picodi, Filipinos spend an average of P1,759 on Valentine’s Day buying gifts for their family, friends, co-workers, or significant other. That amount isn’t cheap, and there are probably a lot of different things you can think of putting that money into. Then, again, you can just save that money, too.

Plus, if there’s a holiday, there’s got to be huge discounts and treats, some of which you can enjoy with your best friends or even indulge in yourself. Curious to see how much more you can save during Valentine’s? Here are some date ideas couples usually do and how much they spend on each activity on average.

The Traditional Dinner Date

There’s almost no better example than the quintessential dinner date at a fancy restaurant. There’s a lot of things that go into this. If you’re a guy, you may surprise your partner with flowers or a quirky bouquet of their interests, write up a sweet note on a fancy card, maybe even a box of chocolates, and that’s on top of dinner. Here’s what the breakdown would look like.

• Dinner in a fancy restaurant – P500/head; P1,000 if you’re paying for the two of you
• A grand bouquet – P400–600 from Dangwa
• A Hallmark card – P50
• A box of chocolates – P350
• Optional: see a movie afterward – P300/head; P600 if you’re paying for the two of you

Total: P1,600–2,600 on average (…and these are conservatively priced!)

This breakdown doesn’t factor in how fancy your restaurant is, if you’re drinking equally fancy drinks (like a glass of wine, yum!), or if you’re going to an upscale movie theater to really enjoy the show.

In that sense, it’s possible to spend more than P2,600 on a romantic dinner alone. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with couples who do so! Just know that you’d be saving this amount, and maybe you can splurge it on other things for now.

The Out of Town Date

Valentine’s Day is not just all about dinner and a movie. Couples are getting more creative with their dates nowadays (which is great for grabbing ideas for when it’s your turn to go on one!).

To really put things into perspective, let’s break down how much adventure-seeking couples spend on when they go on a date. This could be anything from a road trip to a quick domestic flight, but for the sake of comparison, let’s go for a simple out of town trip.

• Accommodation per night in a hotel – P2,500 on average
• Gas and toll for transportation – P1,000+
• Availing tours from the area – P1,000 for a whole day
• Availing water sports activities – P400 per activity on average (e.g., surfing)
• Budget for food and souvenirs – P1,000 per day, per person

Total: P5,900+ on average

There’s no doubt that those who’d opt to travel have a lot more to shell out. While there are many tips and tricks to cut on cost, on average, couples do like to splurge during Valentine’s since it’s only once a year.

With this amount of money, there’s a lot of things you can invest in for yourself, like enrolling in a new course or class to develop new skills, cashing it into your affordable insurance plan, or depositing it into your savings account.

Take BPI AIA’s Life Protect, for instance—it’s a basic insurance plan that can safeguard your future and keep you and your family supported, no matter where life takes you. It may sound like a very grown-up thing to do, but all of these are practical things you can pour effort and money to, as well.

Love is in the Air

For single folks, there’s nothing better than giving yourself some self-love and turning a situation upside down by looking at it from a different perspective. Falling in love isn’t the be-all and end-all in life, and there are many things you can do to make your days fun and exciting! Don’t forget that Valentine’s is for everyone, and it’s your choice if you want to celebrate it or not.

To the couples out there, whichever date idea you end up doing, just enjoy the ride! If you’re in the mood for something different though, why not potentially dedicate your date money to getting insurance? Visit our product page to learn more, or don’t hesitate to directly inquire with a Bancassurance Sales Executive at any of our 900 BPI branches nationwide.