On Monday, 14 February 2022, Bank Windhoek staff members country-wide celebrated Valentine's Day in style with a floral theme. Staff members also used the occasion to share Valentine's Day saving tips, especially during a challenging economic outlook. Roxaine Routh said that gifts are always a good gesture. However, she said that instead of flowers, candy, or jewellery, couples should consider giving each other a fun experience that they can share. “They can visit a museum, paint pottery, attend a community theatre production, or make plans to go for a hike," she said. Chanica Horn said she opted not to go out for an expensive dinner but rather to save and use the money for a weekend vacation later in the year. “This is how we save," she said.
Verdine Martin, Claudia Aron, Paulina Uiras, Michaela Slinger, and Desire Kolz also shared more saving tips. They agreed that cooking at home, planning, budgeting, and making presents with a personal touch are cost-effective compared with spending too much money on gifts for Valentine's Day. “As for presents, mix your chocolate box with sweet messages and end the date with a movie at home," said Martin.
Ashante Garises said she has a tradition with her long-time partner of cooking a gourmet meal with the ingredients they find in their pantry and preparing a dinner for two. Asked how they give each other gifts, Garises said they make their gifts from scratch. “We have made valentines cards and snow globes out of sauce jars," she said. “We have also indulged in writing each other poems, printing them out on beautiful paper and framing them for each other."
Valentine's birthdays and customers' competition
Three Bank Windhoek staff members also celebrated their birthdays on Valentine's Day. Asked how they manage their spending on the day, Liina Angula, Maurenshia De Klerk, and Ruusa Nangolo shared that having a savings account is advisable and recommended. Angula said she has a savings account to buy herself gifts and dine out. De Klerk added that together with her colleagues, they save monthly. With this account, she receives both a birthday and Valentine's gift. Nangolo said that opening a savings account and putting away as little as N$100 monthly can go a long way in the long run.
Fayette Mwangala is in a long-distance relationship and says that she will organise a zoom Valentine's dinner date. “We both celebrate our birthdays before Valentine's Day. Hopefully, his birthday gift will arrive on time even though he is not expecting anything," she said. “We have both made our menu for the “date" from items in our homes."
Meanwhile, the Bank's Vehicle and Asset Financing Branch ran a Valentine's Day competition. Three customers who bought their vehicles during its campaign period of between October 2021 to January 2022 won exciting prizes. The first prize is a weekend away for two at a Gondwana's Secret Collection destination; the second prize is a weekend away at a Gondwana's Premium Plus Collection destination, and the third prize is a weekend away for two at a Gondwana's Premium Collection destination.
Valentine's Day is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honouring a Christian martyr named Saint Valentine. The day has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love worldwide through later folk traditions. Bank Windhoek's staff members also shared more savings tips on the Bank's social media pages.
