There are less than three weeks to go until St. Valentine's Day - are you prepared?
If, like many people you'd like to make this a St Valentine 's Day to remember, you'd better get your thinking cap on as there are less than two weeks until the big day. I've been checking out some of the current deals and offers available for every budget, whether you have money to burn, more moderate means or are pretty broke.
Splurge
Weekend Away
If money is no object, a romantic weekend away is likely to be just the ticket. And what could be more romantic than a city break to Paris? Ebookers is currently offering a three night stay (14 - 17 February) in a three star hotel in the city from £193 per person, including breakfast (flying with British Airways).
Alternatively, Lastminute.com is offering the same dates for a weekend in Madrid, again staying in a three star hotel from just £148 per person (flying with Air Comet).
Spa Break
If a relaxing weekend in the country is more your thing, then why not book a romantic spa break for two? Lastminute is offering one night at the Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa in Berkshire, including full English breakfast, two 30 minute treatments and access to all facilities for £119 per person.
Theatre and Dinner
If dinner and a show is more appealing, you can currently book tickets to see Wicked on 14 February, plus dinner at JB's restaurant (including a glass of champagne) from £60 per person, or Monty Python's Spamalot, plus dinner at Stanza restaurant from £56.50 per person (both offers with Lastminute).
Moderate means
For those with more moderate means there are still plenty of ways to treat your loved one without breaking the bank.
Weekend away
You can currently book flights for 15 February, returning on 17 February from London Stansted to Valencia with Ryanair from £20 (£10 each way), including taxes. Check out Expedia, ebookers and TripAdvisor for cheap places to stay (the latter offers reviews by people who've actually stayed at the hotels).
For a weekend away in the UK, bed and breakfasts often offer inexpensive accommodation - check out Bed and Breakfasts UK to find one in the location of your choice. Alternatively, investigate the cheap hotel chains - Travelodge offers rooms all over the UK from just £29 per night, which must be booked at least seven days in advance and paid for up front. However, if you can wait for your romantic weekend you may be able to book one of its £19 rooms, which need to be booked 18 days in advance (or ideally, earlier).
Dinner and a show
You don't need to spend a fortune to take your loved one out for dinner and a show - Lastminute has plenty of deals for just £20, although you may need to be flexible on dates. For example, you can currently book to see The 39 Steps, with a two course dinner at Tiger Tiger, or Blood Brothers, with dinner at Porters restaurant for £20 per person.
Budget
So what about those of us left with little in our pockets after the Christmas festivities? Can we still treat our loved ones without getting into debt? Well of course! The trick here is to take advantage of every deal going.
Dinner and a Movie
Ask around to see if anyone has a copy of the Daily Telegraph kicking about; this week it's been giving away vouchers for 50% off main meals at Zizzi's, as long as you dine between Sunday and Thursday. Alternatively, sign up to the Giraffe website and download its current 2 for 1 offer on main meals. And Sky subscribers should check the letter with their latest magazine for a voucher offering 2 for 1 on main meals at Pizza Express.
If you then plan your evening out to be on a Wednesday and have an Orange mobile phone, you could take advantage of the Orange Wednesdays offer, giving two cinema tickets for the price of one (plus a 35 pence charge for the text). Alternatively, if you live near a Vue cinema and have a Nectar card, don't forget that you can use 1000 points for a cinema ticket (just swipe your card in the cinema).
Theatre
Lastminute has tickets for shows such as Rent, Stomp and the Woman in Black for just £10. You may need to be flexible regarding dates, and it's worth checking out the Theatremonkey site to make sure the seats you book are the best in that price range.
Get cooking...
And if you're really broke, don't forget that an inexpensive, home-cooked meal can be far more romantic than any restaurant! If you're struggling for recipes, check out these menu ideas from the BBC.
So there are just a few of the offers and deals available at the moment to treat your loved one this St Valentine's Day.