People on a budget can still make a classic romantic gesture
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, people are soon going to be cutting it quite fine to get their special someone a classic romatic gesture of fresh flowers. Certain places will take advantage of the holiday and mark up prices, but people can still get a bunch of traditional red roses for under £5 if they know where to shop.
The team behind Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert website looked into the most affordable supermarket for Brits to check when buying their bouquets of flowers. The figures look at nine major supermarkets that are all selling bunches of classic red roses
The most expensive bunches come from both Waitrose and Marks and Spencer. Each store is charging shoppers £15 for a traditional bouquet in branches across the UK.
Asda claimed the next most expensive arrangement with £10. Roses are a little bit cheaper at the Co-op (£8), followed by Sainsbury’s (£6) and Tesco (£6).
Options are available below £5 in some stores – but some require a loyalty card. Morrisons has a bunch of 12 roses available for £4.50 in stores, but you can cut that to £3.47 at the checkout with a More Card.
Another loyalty swipe is needed at Lidl to get the best £3.45 deal on its bouquet of roses (worth £3.99 to non-Lidl Plus shoppers). However, the UK’s current cheapest bunch of roses is available at Aldi for £3.45, no loyalty card needed.
The MSE report claimed it did not include “premium” ranges in this price comparison. A spokesperson wrote: “Expect short-stemmed standard roses – we’ve not included any premium ranges. The cost of roses can shoot up if they are long-stemmed or ethically/locally sourced. If you want more bang for your buck, consider alternatives such as tulips.
“With a bit of creative flair, you can make a £4/£5 bunch of supermarket roses look a lot pricier for next to nothing. Wrap them in some attractive paper (no need to spend more than £1), attach a self-penned poem (get some inspiration from Google or ChatGPT) and you’re sure to be in your loved one’s good books.”
Why do we give red roses on Valentine’s Day?
If you’ve ever wondered why the classic red rose became the quintessential symbol of love, there’s some interesting history and reasons why the world sees this as one of the most romantic flowers. According to Prestige Flowers, roses are not only beautiful but have long been associated with romance.
On its website, a spokesperson said: “Historically, [roses] have been used to convey emotions that words often fail to express, tracing back to ancient Greek stories of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, who forever linked roses with romance and devotion. The red rose, in particular, stands out as the universal emblem of love in the Language of Flowers. With their rich hues, delightful scent, and heartfelt message, they’re an irresistible choice for Valentine’s Day flowers.”
The different colours of a rose have come to symbolise so many different things, they add. Prestige Flowers claims that giving pink roses displays admiration and gentle affection, whilst it’s more common to gift yellow roses to friends.
