Your essential Valentine’s Day survival guide

Kaitlin Thals
Feb 13, 2015, updated Feb 15, 2015

Shutterstock

It’s that one day of year that you either love or hate.

Couples and singles across Australia are gearing up for Valentine’s Day on February 14.

Some are joining online dating sites in hope of finding true love, where couples are searching for other things, like that perfect gift and the most romantic setting for a date.

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Others are escaping town, to get as far away from the loved up couples and overpriced dinners, as we can, until it’s safe to come home again.

What’s worse for singles, is this year Valentine’s Day lands on a Saturday – if date night isn’t hard enough for us lone rangers as it is, but now it’s date night loaded with even more love, cardboard red hearts glued to shop windows, and candle lit tables for two, everywhere you look!

Whichever way you view Valentine’s Day, here’s some helpful tips to get you through.

Valentine’s Day hopefuls

Online dating sites are receiving a boost in members in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.

Indian Shiv Sena Samajwadi activists set fire to a placard during a demonstration denouncing Valentine’s Day. They strongly oppose celebrations citing them as a cultural invasion on the Hindu way of life. I might join them this weekend… Photo: AAP

RSVP.com.au spokeswoman Kari Taylor says there has been a 20 per cent increase of single hopefuls joining the site between New Years and Valentine’s Day.

“It’s that time of year where people have love on the top of their minds, starting with New Year resolutions leading up to Valentine’s Day,” Ms Taylor says.

“Valentine’s Day is a great reminder finding love, so get online and have some fun with it.”

A survey conducted by the site in 2015 shows that it’s men are more likely than women to think the special day holds the potential to discover true love.

But no matter what the stats reveal, at the end of the day, almost 80 per cent of people surveyed said they would like to receive a gift from a secret admirer on February 14.

V-Day apps for the last minute lover

If you haven’t organised anything for your loved one by now, don’t fret.

Chocolatiers are working over time leading up to Valentine’s Day, including Cao Chocolates owner Ricardo Trillos in Miami. Photo: AAP

Here are a handful of apps that might help with some last minute ideas.

Eatnow.com.au If you want to impress your significant other with a tantalising home-cooked meal, order in your favourite cuisine and plate it up beautifully as though it were your own.

Yumtable Woo your date with dinner at a fancy restaurant without the hassles of queues or the unexpectedly pricey bill at the end. This app will allow you to search for restaurants, claim hassle free discounts and reserve tables.

Vinomofo This online wine retailer is focused on delivering good wines, epic deals, and ‘keeping it real’. Great for any last minute wine advice to impress your date or love one.

HotelQuickly Treat your lover to an unexpected night of luxury with a spontaneous weekend escape to your favourite destination with this last-minute app.

Most popular V-Day gifts purchased by Aussies on e-Bay

eBay says stuffed teddy bears have been the most popular Valentine’s Day gift. Photo: Shutterstock

Perfume sales have increased by 37 per cent. Coco Chanel perfume is the favourite, with a 118 per cent increase in sales between January and February.

Lingerie sales increased by 35 per cent during the same period.

But it appears stuffed teddy bears take the prize for the most popular gift of all – showing a 374 per cent rise in the sales from January to February.

Tips for keeping your catch

The state of your home can be a deal breaker, according to 60.3 per cent of Australian singles saying they would dump someone if their house was tacky or messy.

Online dating site eHarmony.com.au conducted the survey.

“Like it to not, your home says a lot of about who you are. So just like you would put effort and consideration into what outfit to wear on a date, you should also put some thought into your home’s decor and style,” online homewares retailer TheHome.com.au, chief executive officer Alexandra Mills says.