In or Out? How Should You Spend Valentine's Day?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means a rushed visit to the shops to find a card that isn’t too sappy and wrestling for a supermarket bunch of roses that looks the least sad.

Of course, you could plan ahead and make everything perfect, but how many of us actually get the chance for some planned romance?

At the very least, you’ll probably have a vague idea of what you’re going to do for the day, whether this is going out or staying in. After all, not having a plan could lead to some very frosty silences with the other half that you probably won’t live down until next Valentine’s Day.

But when it comes to planning your romantic night – or not planning, as the case will probably be – do you go out for a meal or do you get cosy at home?

We’re sure there are good points to both options – although we know which we prefer – so here’s the main things that might help you decide sooner rather than later and keep you out of the dog house on 14th February:

The main thing about going out for a Valentine’s meal is that you need to get glammed up. No one wants to rock up to a posh restaurant in their work outfit or jeans and a T-shirt.

This means needing to make time after work on a Tuesday night to pull a smart outfit together to show your other half that you’ve made the effort. This sounds like a lot of hard work and will probably leave you feeling shattered before the evening starts.

While you could dress up while having a meal at home, you can also just wear whatever you get home in. You could even get changed into more comfortable clothes, if not – get ready for this – pyjamas. What could be better than eating delicious and comforting food with the one you love in your own home while wearing PJs or your warmest onesie?

When you think of a romantic meal at a restaurant, your mind probably goes to a quiet restaurant and soft lighting filled with small tables and quiet conversation. The Hollywood idea of the perfect couple’s night out is usually what we picture.

Instead, you’ll probably be crammed into a loud restaurant that’s brought in extra tables to fit all the lovers in. Not only does this mean you’ll hardly be able to hear your date, you’ll pretty much be sitting on the lap of the person at the next table because you’re so close. Then you’ll be awkwardly comparing your night to theirs, listening to their arguments, or finding it too awkward to have a conversation because you know they can hear everything.

If you actually want to talk to your partner on Valentine’s Day, staying at home might be the better option. You can be in charge of the music and the TV – or you can at least fight over ownership of the remote – and can just sit back and enjoy being together. Plus, you don’t need to deal with other people, which is a bit of a bonus.

Eating at a restaurant on Valentine’s Day is a great way to avoid being in the kitchen. Simply picking a few dishes off of the menu is easy and means you can sit back and relax – although not too far back as you’ll knock into someone at one of the other too-close tables and cause a domino effect!

While having someone else to cook for you is great, you might struggle to find something you like or that is in budget. There’s also a very real chance you’ll end up stuck with the Valentine’s Day set menu, which can often look a little bit sad. This can mean it isn’t as great a night as you’d hoped or that it ends up putting a much bigger dent in your bank account.

Cooking at home on Valentine’s Day is much the same as cooking on any other day of the week, even if you do make more of an effort. You know how much you’re spending before the night has even begun, making it easy to budget and less of a shock.

While it may be a bit more work than simply ordering in, it’s cheaper, you know you like the food and you can indulge a little more. Plus, if you use a Cook4Me, you could make the whole thing much easier!

Of course, the most important thing to remember about Valentine’s Day this year is that it falls on a Tuesday. This is hardly the best day for a romantic evening, especially as Wednesday is usually a bit of a nightmare to get through. What kind of a day is Tuesday for romance anyway? It’s like a Monday but with the gloss of the happy weekend rubbed off.

You won’t want a late night, which is inevitable if you have to get home from work, get ready and then go out again, so staying in could be the best way to enjoy yourself and still be in bed at your usual time. This will make your Wednesday morning alarm a lot more bearable.

So are you going to be staying in or going out when it comes to being romantic this Valentine’s Day?