Will you spice things up with a bargain meal?
You can't put a price on love - but if you could, £10 sounds like a pretty good deal! The day that lies emblazoned on the heart of many a woman - and scorched into the diary of many a man, next to the words "Do not forget", in thick red pen - is almost upon us.
February 14. Valentine's Day. More important than any anniversary or birthday. Well, until said anniversary or birthday pops up on the calendar anyway.
You know the routine by now. Champagne. Flowers. Chocolates. Chocolates shaped like flowers. Flowers that look like chocolate. Actually, no, scratch that last one.
But what if you want to go beyond the standard, beyond the familiar drill of a card with a puppy on the front and a few words scrawled before he/she wakes up?
What if you want to push the proverbial boat out but don't have the cash to splash especially when your bank balance is still reeling after Christmas?
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Well, the supermarkets know we've all got used to thrifty ways these days and are pulling out the stops to help.
Some of this week's special "meal deals" mean you don't have to spend more than a tenner on eating in, £15 at the most.
So what do you get for your money? We've tested some of the best food and drink buys around and found that love on a budget doesn't have to mean cutting back on style...
Meal deals:
Tesco, all main branches: Finest Valentine's Day Meal for two - £15.
There were five main courses to choose from, we went for the Prosciutto wrapped chicken breasts in a cheese sauce accompanied by horseradish mash and green vegetable selection. The chicken looked a little too shop-bought to fool anyone into thinking otherwise, but it tasted good, as did the mash. We followed it up with a Belgian chocolate torte, a bottle of burgundy and some Thorntons chocolates: pretty much all you would need for a satisfying and romantic belly busting blowout.
Sainsbury's, Swansea, Wine and Dine for £10.
There were 20 or so different products to choose from. We decided on the Taste the Difference Seabass fillets with roasted fennel and orange butter followed by a mixed berry Panna Cotta for dessert, all served with a First Cape sparkling Pinot Grigio.
It all looked good on the plate and very restaurant-like.
With bits and pieces, our bill topped £15, meaning we were also entitled to a two-for-one cinema voucher at the Odeon to see the new Valentine's Day film with Jessica Alba and Jamie Foxx.
Chocolates:
Thornton's, Swansea and Llanelli, red continental heart, £11.99.
Okay. admittedly not the cheapest we found, but certainly our favourites: these really looked the part. They were classsy looking and very more-ish. These looked special and indeed, were.
Morrisons, Parc Morfa: Lindt Lindor heart gift box, £4.99.
These all looked and tasted the same, even so, delicious. This is a box of chocs that won't disappoint!
So Cocoa, Mumbles: From £10.
A heart shaped box complete with ribbon that didn't disappoint.
These were yummy. You really will savour each and every one.
Flowers:
There is a lot of competition out there for your money on February 14 as nothing says it quite like a bunch of blooms. It means there are bargains to be had, if you know where to look!
Aldi, all branches, a dozen red roses, £4.99.
We picked our way through a bucket of flowers containing one of two indifferent bunches to find a bunch that looked their very best and certainly much more impressive than their price tag indicated.
Sainsbury's, Swansea. A dozen Fairtrade roses, £4.99.
Good value even if nothing out of the ordinary.
Lidl, all branches. At £16.99 for a dozen Equadorian large red roses, at first glance, these seemed on the expensive side.
But they were absolutely beautiful and, we decided, still worth every penny.
Tesco, all branches: Eight small roses, £2.
These were a bargain buy.
They were only half as long-stemmed as some rivals, but were all wonderfully fresh and looked as though they would last for a week or more.
Drinks:
NO February 14 is complete without a glass or two of pink fizz. JASON EVANS picks some tasty sparkling roses that won't break the bank.
Codorniu 2007 Vintage Rose Cava, Tesco, £5.99 down from £11.99.
Cava is often a good value fizz, and for six quid this vintage example is a good buy — vivid pink in colour, it has aromas of summer fruits, and a strawberries and cream palate.
M&S Prosecco rose, all branches, £6.99.
You've got to like this Italian sparkler prosecco, with its lightness and sense of fun.
This M&S bottle is fresh and pretty, with flavours of cherry and pear drops.
Lindauer rose, widely available, around £8.99.
I'm yet to meet anyone who doesn't like this fizz from New Zealand, with its masses of sherberty, strawberry fruit. A real Kiwi crowd pleaser.
Asda, Llanelli and Morriston: Mas Miralda Rosado Brut, £3.31.
There was a lot of fizz in this impressive-looking bottle which came in at a decent price. But taste wise, it didn't quite hit the mark and wasn't one we would go out of our way for.
Morrisons, Parc Morfa and Neath: Marques Monistrol Rose Brut, £5.99.
This was probably our favourite both in terms of taste and looks. The rose pink contents of the bottle had plenty of sparkly fizz and came with a subtle hint of rasberry.
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