Valentine’s Day is nothing but a manufactured holiday that cares more about big purchases than the actual celebration of love.

The amount of money people are expected to spend on the holiday increases every year. Last year, the average shopper planned to spend around $185.81. This year, that rose to $188.81.

Altogether, consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion this year. For people who struggle financially, this day can put a dent in the bank account.

And it’s not like you can opt out of buying a gift for your significant other on this “day of love.” If you try that, people will think you’re an inconsiderate person who doesn’t care enough to celebrate your relationship.

But the commercialization of the holiday makes the act of doing so feel disingenuous.

There is also an uneven distribution when it comes to how much partners spend on one another. In 2022, men spent twice as much on Valentine’s Day than did women, $235 on average compared to $119.

This may be because advertisements mainly focus on what to get the woman and not what to get the guy. The most common Valentine’s Day gifts are candy, flowers and greeting cards. Candy is number one, at 56% of all Valentine’s gifts, with flowers and greeting cards both at 40%.
But let’s look at these gifts. Candy is used once. Once you eat it, it’s gone. But at least it serves an actual purpose and isn’t just going to sit somewhere in your house. Flowers are a pretty decoration until they rot.

And greeting cards. Really? They may contain sweet words, but what is there to do with the card once you’ve opened and read it? You feel bad throwing it away, so cards collect in your non-specifically-labeled greeting card drawer.

If you’re going to spend a lot of money on Valentine’s Day gifts, at least make it something your partner can use more than once.The holiday emphasizes a need to express love for each other with gifts, but what happens when Feb. 14 is over? Why is there such an emphasis on that one day? It could add to the pressure of making other big commitments in the relationship around the same time.

Or, the exact opposite might happen.

Metro UK’s Ellen Scott has created something called “Valentighting.” This is where a significant other breaks up with someone right before Valentine’s Day. According to a survey on IllicitEncounters.com, an extramarital dating site, more couples break up in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day than any other time of year.

Oh, Valentine’s Day. How great it is to receive the same tired chocolates and flowers that can also be used for Mother’s Day and anniversaries. Or maybe you’ll just be dumped. Go figure!