A hand written love letter inviting her to a surprise weekend away is probably the best Valentine’s Day present you can give

It’s only three days to go and you haven’t bought a gift. The restaurant you’ve booked is probably going to leave you with an empty pocket for the next two weeks, and you don’t know the first thing about getting flowers delivered.

Welcome to Valentine’s Day.

Hoping to stand out, you craft a sweet love letter to your significant other. After all, putting pen and paper is a forgotten art in the digital age.

Except it isn’t. A survey conducted by Pilot Pen Australia in conjunction with online dating sites RSVP and Oasis.com found that over 70 percent of the more than 1,200 Australians surveyed have written an old-fashioned love letter before.

Although 30 percent of 18-30 year olds say they prefer texting – because it’s ‘short and sweet’ – over 50 percent within this group have let it flow on page in the past.

Of the 16 percent of all respondents who said that the love letter has no place in modern society, over a quarter said a text or email was just as romantic as a hand written message.

(Twenty percent said no one has time to write letters these days).

Meanwhile, the majority of respondents within the 50-plus age group said they preferred talking on the phone with their loved ones when spending time part.

Despite the differences in opinions, 80 percent of all respondents said they still send a Valentine’s Card on February 14, and most of them back this up with a gift.

The most popular presents among men are – unsurprisingly – flowers, while most women preferred to buy a ‘quirky’ individual gift for their special someone.

Also unsurprisingly, a surprise weekend away is considered the most romantic gift, but a hand written love letter beats sky writing a message.

“Clearly, in spite of the wonders of communicating via smart phones, email and social media, the power of the pen tops new technology when it comes to making and maintaining deep connections with loved ones,” said psychologist and RSVP Dating and Relationship expert John Aiken.

“The beauty of a hand written love letter is that it can be kept and cherished, giving long lasting, heart-warming memories of your love that can be re-visited for many years to come.”

RELATED: 12 free places to go on a romantic date this Valentine's Day

If you’ve never bothered writing a love letter in the past, or feel “awks lol [insert blushing emoji]” about putting pen to paper to express your feelings, Aiken recommends his top 5 tips of writing a love letter:

1. Be You – your partner loves you for who you are. When starting out your love letter, just be yourself and explain your feelings in your own words. You don’t need to be the next Shakespeare in the making. Many beautiful love letters haven’t got past the thoughts in someone’s head due to stage fright. Just put pen to paper and get writing.
2. Be Raw – don’t be afraid to open up your inner most feelings – that’s what writing a love letter is all about. Share your feelings, embrace them and own them. It’s OK to feel vulnerable. Your loved one will appreciate your honesty and openness.
3. Take your Time - in this day and age of social media, texting and email, we tend to run on auto-pilot. Communication is fast, often reactive and immediate. When penning your love letter, get in the zone. Slow down, breathe and let your feelings flow. Get in touch with yourself and with your feelings. This will help you to express yourself in an authentic, meaningful way.
4. Plot it out – if you run out of steam after the first para, then take inspiration from plotting a novel – look back to the past and how you met, comment about the present and anticipate the joys of the future.
5. Presentation – express your style. A love letter can be anything you want it to be – scribbled on the back of an envelope, crafted on parchment with a beautiful ink pen, or just a few sentences on scrap paper. And if you’re worried about making a mistake – choose an erasable ink pen so you can start again.

And if you still can’t be bothered, Australia Post has got your back. In an Australian first, AusPost has partnered with interflora to make it easier for shoppers to order flowers at a Post Office, and have them delivered the next business day anywhere in Australia.

There are over 4,000 Post Offices across Australia, including in the outback, so guys and girls – you really have no excuse.