Wait just a minute, is Valentine’s Day actually easier for guys than we think? According to the results of our Valentine’s Day survey of 1,500 consumers, the answer is yes. Here’s why:

• The Plan: Nearly 7 out of 10 women would prefer to make Valentine’s Day plans as a joint decision rather than simply doing what men organized for the night. Less than 50 percent of men thought the same. While men still need to bring some ideas to the table, simply having a chat with your significant other can significantly reduce the stress of planning a romantic night.
• The Bill: While nearly two-thirds of men believe it’s their duty to pick up the check, more than 40 percent of women believe that the couple should split the cost of all Valentine’s Day expenses right down the middle. Once again, a quick conversation about splitting the dinner bill before going out on Valentine’s Day night can help reduce stress over the budget.
• The Date: A night out for dinner was the top choice among both men and women when we asked what they wanted on Valentine’s Day, so you really can’t go wrong with a night out on the town. In addition, more than 70 percent of women indicated that they either like or love Valentine’s Day compared to only 40 percent of men. Even if men don’t like the holiday, just making an effort can go a long way to making their significant other happy.

Successfully Avoid These Common Mistakes

It’s obvious that guys are probably assuming too many responsibilities for Valentine’s Day, thus the stress builds. A little communication will probably go a long way to reducing that stress. However, beware of some potential minefields such as:

• The Benjamins: Don’t assume that she will spend the same amount of money that you are planning to spend on her. According to our survey results, approximately 38 percent of men are planning to spend over $100 on Valentine’s Day, more than 10 percent over $200. Alternatively, only 20 percent of women will be spending over $100 and 46 percent will spend less than $50. If you do chat about splitting the bill, make sure you talk about budget as well.
• The Perfect Gift: Think about what she actually wants and would make her happy. If you are thinking lingerie, think again. First off, that’s a gift enjoyed by men. Secondly, it ranked at the bottom of our survey results along with impersonal gift cards and electronics. A card and a thoughtful gift will go a long way and avoid the situation depicted by Saturday Night Live in the video here.

• The Perfect Gift, Part Deux: Don’t assume that she will purchase what you really want for Valentine’s Day. According to our study, the Valentine’s Day gift that’s most sought after by men, after a night out, was electronics. Unfortunately, only 4 percent of women are considering electronics as a gift this year. In other words, drop some hints.
• The Admiral Ackbar: Did she tell you that she didn’t want a gift this year? You should probably play this on a loop for the next hour.

Plan the Day like a Pro

If men really want to impress their significant other, you can knock it out of the park by focusing on two areas, the flowers and the dinner. Everything else will fall into place.

According to our survey data, women want flowers nearly as much as a night out. It beat out receiving a card, candy or jewelry, so here are a few tips on the floral front.

• The Florist: If you have time, visit your local florist and buy local. Florists are likely to take the best care of flowers, compared to warehouse or grocery stores. While prices may be higher, there’s usually room for bargaining at a locally owned shop.
• The Speed Test: When buying online, fast shipping is vital. Roses, for instance, are kept in refrigerated chambers, typically less than 36 degrees. The moment that they are removed and shipped, you want to receive them ASAP to avoid wilting. Use online deals on the flowers to help offset the cost of fast shipping.

• The Options: Don’t assume that you have to get roses. There are plenty of other flowers in season and the money you spend on flowers will go much further. Flowers like orchids, jasmine and hyacinth tend to be cheaper during February. You can always pick up a single red rose and deliver it during the date.
• The Right Color: If you do go with roses, you need to buy red. Not pink, not orange, not white. Not lavender, not coral, not peach. And if you purchase yellow roses, just pack up your things and get ready to set sail into the friend zone. While whoever assigned these arbitrary meanings to rose colors was probably a sadist, it’s impossible to ignore at this point. Just buy red.

[table caption=”Valentine’s Day Flower Deals” width=”620″ colwidth=”5|20|65|10″ colalign=”center|center|center|center”]

,Store,Deal,Price

1,Living Social,$30 1-800-Flowers Credit,$13

[/table]

So you’ve got the flowers down? Let’s move on to dinner. Here are a few tips to help plan your night.

• The Empty Wallet: If you are light on funds, consider cooking dinner for your significant other. Better yet, plan the entire menu and ask her to help you cook. You can go a long way with candles on the dinner table and a home-cooked meal. If you must go out, consider opening up a bottle of champagne or wine at home first in order to offset the additional cost of alcohol at dinner.
• The Packed Joint: If you haven’t booked a place yet, you need to book now. A week or two in advance is best, but you might be able to get away with a few days. In any case, you won’t be able to make a reservation on the morning of February 14. You can also try OpenTable’s mobile app to search for last minute openings. In addition, beware of special menus since many restaurants increase prices on Valentine’s Day.

• The Ambiance: Trying to book a reservation at the trendy, expensive spot in town? Why bother if it’s loud? Look for a place where you can have a conversation without yelling over the noise. That will help in the romance department as well.
• The Home Run: Combine dinner and flowers into a one-two punch. Many restaurants will agree to special requests like bringing a large bouquet of flowers to the table when you arrive or at the end of the meal. If you are light on funds, consider dropping off your card at the restaurant early and having the waitstaff tuck it into her menu as a surprise.

In conclusion, stick to the game plan above and you will have a stress-free Valentine’s Day. There’s really not that much to stress out about if you stick to the basics.

This is why guys shouldn’t dislike Valentine’s Day

While the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are the yin and yang of important calendar dates in February, it’s Presidents’ Day that’s traditionally been the holiday to lure bargain shoppers. You’d think Presidents’ Day was an important holiday by the sheer number of retailers who choose it every year to roll out their three-day weekend sales.

If anyone cares about Presidents’ Day, it’s because of the sales.

February is a transitional month when new products—particularly tech and home—are about to arrive for spring, so you have a unique chance to find some steep discounts that won’t last long.

Super Bowl and Beyond

If you’re in the market for TVs and home theater, this is a good time of the year to find good deals on last year’s models as the new models start appearing in retailers’ inventory, post CES. Since the technology upgrades on TVs are fairly incremental from year to year, it’s unlikely you’re missing out on as much as you would if you were buying an older laptop.

You’ll also start seeing more refurbs of last year’s models coming available, knocking the sticker price down even further. You typically want to stick with manufacturer refurbished products, which offer the same or similar warranties.

Walmart, Best Buy, Fry’s and Amazon will all have excellent online deals on older model and refurbished HDTVs.

Everyone’s Favorite Holiday, Part I

On Ben’s Bargains, you’ll see the usual flower, candy and chocolate deals from Groupon and Living Social, such as a $40 FTD credit for $20. You’ll also see department stores and online jewelry sites like Ice.com and Ross-Simons push modest discounts in early February. Of course, the steeper discounts will come after the 14th.

Watch out for deals for photo books from places like Snapfish and Walgreens that will be capitalizing on the need to give keepsakes for Valentine’s.

You will also see many chain restaurants promoting special deals and freebies around this time of year. Last year, we compiled a restaurant roundup of the various offers that were part of Valentine’s Day promotions.

Everyone’s Favorite Holiday, Part II

A week later, the holiday that no one asked for annually has tons of sales, ranging from apparel to bedding (and mattresses) to tools. While these product categories may have nothing to do with presidents of the United States, expect the three-day weekend to be one of the best times of the year for these product categories.

Say a thank-you to Abraham Lincoln when you find a cheap mattress.

Everyone’s Most Hated Day

With the IRS starting to accept tax returns on January 31, 2014, all the companies that make tax software are in competition mode right now and that will only continue through mid to late February.

You will likely find discounts on tax software bundles very soon, especially since those same companies are competing against aggressive marketing campaigns on television at the moment. Look for bundles that include federal and state filing with a typical discount of 25 to 40 percent off of the MSRP.

If You’re OK With Refurbs

Although we’re probably a good 8 to 10 months away from the arrival of the 5th generation Intel chips, you should start seeing some discounts on 4th generation Haswell computers as part of the natural life cycle of tech.

This will be attributable to more refurbished 4th generation laptops and desktops coming available.

Off-Season Purchases

February is also your last chance for finding deals on off-season summer purchases like patio furniture, grills and air conditioners (and boats). This year, we’ve already been seeing a lot of fantastic clearance prices on these types of products from Home Depot and Sears. It always pays to plan ahead on these big ticket seasonal items.

Don’t wait too long, however. In the latter part of the month, spring items will start to arrive in stores at full price. You want to catch these deals in the first part of February.

Other off-season deals include luggage and travel deals since this is a slow time for travelers.

Got New Year’s Resolutions?

If you’re one of the few who have actually managed to hold onto their New Year’s resolutions, you might be motivated enough to scope out the remaining deals on indoor fitness equipment that are making room for the soon-arriving summer models.

Don’t Forget Deal Alerts

If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming  February deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!

You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!

– Mike Flacy contributed to this report.

Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in February