I've always been amazed at the high cost of ordering flower delivery on the Internet. Because sending flowers online is even more convenient than calling a florist, there's plenty of demand. Since it isn't hard to find inexpensive flowers at shops around town, I can't understand why online florists charge so much.
Even when you find a good sticker price on a flower for delivery, the shipping charges and other fees associated with buying from an online flower shop can really add up. God forbid you want to send flowers on a weekend -- most online florists charge an extra $15 on top of your shipping charge for weekend deliveries. Regular deliveries during the week generally cost around $12, so that $19.99 bouquet you found suddenly becomes an investment of over $30, about $45 if delivered on the weekend.
There are a few ways you can find flowers to send for under $20. The next time you need to send flowers on a limited budget, try one of the following tactics for keeping your cost down.
Since a big part of the cost of ordering flowers online is the shipping charge, eliminate the problem altogether by using a free shipping coupon. If you need to send flowers for less than $20, finding a flower arrangement that costs less than a twenty spot is not the main problem, it's paying for the delivery. Some online florists are more friendly than others when it comes to giving out free shipping. FlowerSpot.com is known for offering free shipping (on certain flowers) just before a holiday season. But when you can't find advertised free shipping, you can search for a free shipping promo code.
Check out FreeShipping.org and search under the category "flowers" to find online coupons that allow you to upgrade your shipping or ship your flowers at no cost. Some of the coupons are for large orders, such as Afloral.com's "free shipping for orders over $199" deal, while other online florist's shipping promo codes entitle you to a free upgrade to "express shipping". At least two online flower shops (as of this writing) are listed as having coupons that make your flower delivery free.
Some flowers are naturally more expensive than others. When you only have $20 to spend on a flower delivery, you want to avoid certain flowers and arrangements that are more expensive because the flowers themselves cost the florist more. In general, groups of one flower are more affordable than bouquets made up of lots of different flowers. Another general rule -- the more common a flower, the cheaper it will be. A simple bouquet of roses is not usually the most expensive flower at your online florist -- that honor goes to more exotic species or large hand arrangements.
Another way to find the cheapest flowers is to allow the online florist to pick the specific flowers themselves. Many flower delivery sites give you the option of ordering "florist's choice" or "manager's choice" arrangements at a reduced price. Though you won't know exactly what flowers are sent until the receiver tells you, I have never personally had a "florist's choice" order that didn't wow the recipient. If you have used a particular online florist before and trust their judgment, selecting "florist's choice" is a quick way to save $5 - $10.
Cheap flowers to order online include roses, carnations, daisies, chrysanthemums, and seasonal flowers like holly at Christmas time.
More expensive flowers (that you probably won't ever find for less than $20) are orchids, long stem roses, lilies, tulips, and "exotic" plants like bonsai.
Sometimes you save money by shopping at large retailers -- the sheer volume of merchandise they deal in gives them a little wiggle room when it comes to prices. In the world of online flower shops, this adage does not usually hold true. The large online florists (1800flowers, Teleflora, etc.) are usually more expensive than their smaller competition. The next time you send flowers, start your search at one of these smaller web based flower shops.
HonestFlorist.com -- Free express delivery on most orders and constant 20% off sales on selected flowers means shopping at HonestFlorist.com costs less than their larger competitors. HonestFlorist also has the biggest selection of single flowers (from roses to carnations) you can have delivered to anywhere in the United States.
FloraFlora.com -- This site promises no delivery charges and "no hidden fees" on all orders. You won't find fancy arrangements or bouquets, but what you will find costs less than at larger shops. You can usually find a gift of roses (with vase) for under $25, with no delivery fee.
FromYouFlowers.com -- Though there are no promises of free shipping here, there is a huge selection of arrangements and flowers in the "under $30" category. From florist designed bouquets at about $25 to occasional sale prices in the teens, FromYouFlowers seems to have a larger selection of cheap flowers than most online flower shops.
CheapFlowers.com -- Advertising that you can "save 50% on flower orders", CheapFlowers does away with the hefty "delivery fee" or "wire fee" of the middle man and promises the same great flowers you'd get from their competition at a lower price. Using FTD florists, CheapFlowers.com places your flower order with a florist near where your flowers are being delivered and does not charge the "wire fee" so common with online florists.
A gift of flowers is appropriate for all occasions. Using online flower shops, you can find a flower or arrangement for a birthday, anniversary, or just to say "get well soon". If you take a little extra time to shop around, use free shipping opportunities, and know which flowers are the cheapest to send, you don't have to spend $50 or $60 every time you want to send flowers.
And THAT is how to send roses for less than $20. Finding cheap flowers to send online isn't easy, but you can do it if you're willing to make the effort.
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