Valentine’s Day by the dollars

My valentine made me a promise while love’s bloom was still fresh:

No flowers on Valentine’s Day.

I don’t mind in the least. “Just because” bouquets make regular appearances the rest of the year, when the sticker shock doesn’t induce a cardiac event. Reasonably priced flora is just as pretty, and it’s more fun to be surprised.

Spending for Valentine’s Day exceeds $21 billion, making it the third-priciest American holiday after Christmas and Halloween.

Worse, about a third of adults in relationships say they expect their Valentine to spend at least $50 on a gift, not counting the fancy dinner, according to WalletHub’s 2021 Valentine’s Day Survey (see Bit.ly/3pDom3f).

In confusing contrast, nearly half of cohabitators say they’d break up with a partner who spends irresponsibly. Yet 53 percent also say they’d break up with a partner who ignored Feb. 14. How much overlap between the two, WalletHub didn’t reveal.

Should love be about money? Not long ago most were content with handmade cards, a single rose, focused time together. A lovingly made dessert on a candlelit table set with the best china said, “I invested my time in you.”

Stats suggest time and attention no longer fit the bill. Wallethub’s survey also revealed:

·$164: The average total Americans now spend to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

·$21.8 billion: Total Valentine’s Day spending projected for 2021, with $9.5 billion of that on unwanted gifts. Least popular gifts include tools, sporting equipment, gym memberships, kitchen stuff and mixtapes.

·$231 vs. $101: Men spend more than twice as much as women do for Valentine’s Day. C’mon girls.

·That’s mostly jewelry: We spend $4.1 billion on jewelry, and $2 billion each on flowers and candy.

·Flower sellers rely on it. 30 percent of total annual flower sales happen around Valentine’s Day.

·We’re doing it online: Overall online dating activity rises 33 percent between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14. Valentine shopping is 38 percent online (28 percent in department stores, 17 in discount shops, and 17 percent buy local/small business). One in six U.S. marriages also begins online.

·Men want chocolate, too. While 38 percent of women hope for chocolate, so do 32 percent of men.

Only about half of adults even bother to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But 73 percent said with the pandemic, it’s more important to celebrate this year.

Celebrating love in all forms, given how stressed the world is right now, does sound good. But maybe we should try it retro style, without the big dollar sign.

Coffee in bed, chores without being asked, a little flirting and a lingering look over a romantic note … These say “I love you” like cash never could.

“False love can be bought; true love is priceless.” - Matshona Dhliwayo

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network who’s lucky in love and content to celebrate it 364 days each year, without the baubles. Email Sholeh@cdapress.com.