Press Release

BRITS SPLASH OUT ON ROMANCE

10th February 2006

25% have raided their savings to fund a romantic night out

One in three expect to be spoiled on Valentine's Day

Love might be priceless but when it comes to Valentine's Day more than one in three (37%) Brits expect to be spoiled according to the latest research from National Savings and Investments (NS&I).  Whether its roses, dinner or a romantic weekend away, making the right impression is so important that a quarter (25%) of Brits have raided their savings to fund a romantic night.

Valentine's Day is a waste of time but don't leave me out

Whilst only one in six (17%) think Valentine's Day is a great idea, over a third of Brits (37%) expect to be treated to dinner or a gift on 14th February. Londoners have the highest expectations with half (49%) demanding the flowers and chocolates treatment, this is closely followed by Scots with 48%. In contrast only 23% of those in the South West expect to be spoiled on Valentine's Day.

But be warned, just under a third (29%) of Brits have branded Valentine's Day a rip off and refuse to have anything to do with it, which will leave some romantics disappointed.

Views of Valentine's Day

View	Total	Men	Women
It is a bit commercial but a good excuse to make some time for a partner	46%	47%	45%
It is a rip off, I don't do anything	29%	28%	29%
It is a great idea	17%	16%	19%
It is so depressing and puts too much pressure on couples	3%	2%	4%
Don't know	5%	7%	3%

Cost of romance

From Valentine's Day to anniversaries to first dates, the cost of romance is adding up and increasingly Brits are raiding their savings to pay for it. Our 2006 survey shows a quarter (25%) of Brits admit to dipping into their savings to fund a romantic evening. This is a huge increase on a similar survey in 2005 where only 4% admitted to it. The number of Casanovas using their savings to impress someone has also shot from 11% in last year's survey to 37% in 2006.

Using savings to prepare for a date remains the most common vice, with 24% raiding savings to buy new clothes - up from 6% last year. And surprisingly, almost as many men (24%) as women (25%) will use their savings to get new clothes before a date.

Romantic reminder

Donna Dawson, psychologist, comments: "The typical response to Valentine's Day is both a practical and a romantic one: if it's going to happen anyway, then we want to give it our best shot, whether that means dinner or a gift. As a result many welcome a calendar reminder to stop and take stock in this hectic, fast-paced world. This in turn, leads to the very 'romantic' decision to raid our savings for our loved ones!"

"However, it is worth noting that for many spending some quality time together is worth more than spending lots of money on one arbitrary date."

Five ways to impress for less

Romance doesn't have to cost the earth, you can impress for less with one of the following ideas this Valentine's Day:

• Treat your partner to a home cooked meal
• Exercise your poetry writing skills
• Surprise them with an unexpected phone call, letter, e-card or text
• Be generous with your time and choices - let your partner choose which film you watch or music you listen to
• Give your partner your undivided attention - turn off the phone and forget about work while you are together