Keeping tabs on love

MANILA, Philippines—Business Monday asked a few people about their dating expenses this Valentine’s Day especially and here’s what they said:

The college students on allowance:

•Eat at a casual restaurant and hang out at a coffee shop

•Skip the movies, bum around the bookstore and walk around the mall

•Come up with cheap thrills such as sunset watching

• Split the dating cost in half at P500 each

The working boyfriend-girlfriend:

•The budget for dinner is set at P2,000 to P4,000

•The cost for a bouquet of flowers is P2,000

•Giving gifts is not necessary

•The guy pays the majority of the costs

The young married couple without kids:

•Book a hotel package at P7,000 (includes a full-course dinner, one-hour massage, a bottle of champagne and chocolates)

•Forego the gifts because they put their entire budget in the overnight hotel stay

The married couple with children:

•The budget for dinner is around P2,000 and flowers at P500 (sourced from Dangwa where flowers are less expensive compared to flower shops at malls which cost over P1,000)

•A Valentine’s Day date is simpler because you have kids at home to think about so you can’t stay out for long. However, married couples tend to be more creative when it comes to showing their affection for each other at Valentine’s, coming up with simpler but really sweet surprises such as cards or homemade gifts.