Alright ladies don’t kill me yet just give the article a chance. In fact I was actually debating whether I should write this article or not but then I figured it’s my blog so it’s only fair if I write what’s on my mind at all times. Don’t worry I’m not some miserable single guy, I do have plans for Valentine’s Day. With that being said I will NOT state that Valentine’s Day is a scam. I just want everyone to ponder a few questions in their head before they come up with an answer.
Do you need a specific day to tell someone how you feel?
Do you need a specific day to show someone appreciation?
Do you need to go for a fancy and expensive dinner when you could cook some better food at home?
Why do hotel/restaurant rates increase significantly just because it’s February 14th?
After you ponder these thoughts you will come up with a clear answer in your head. However, some bad news for the guys- no matter what you do you’re not getting out of spending money on Valentine’s Day, sorry. If you’re going to remember anything about this article then remember this; you don’t need to spend a fortune tomorrow to have a good time, just do what feels right.
I'm a 24 year old dude that studied finance in school and now wants to make it fun. Over the past three years I've been helping readers like YOU make more money and keep more cash in your pocket. I've appeared live on Fox Business News and I've been mentioned in the NY Times.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I actually do think that Valentine’s Day has been exploited by marketing departments. It’s become hugely commercialised with many people having over-inflated expectations which subsequently cause rows because their partner is supposed to *know* that “I don’t want to do anything special” means “Please hire a horse-drawn carriage and book a table at The Ritz”. However, the essential core is a good thing, reminding us not to take people we love for granted and giving us an excuse to make them feel special.
In my universe, it’s pretty much always been 50%-off-chocolate eve. I’m the one always getting in trouble because I say “I don’t care” and actually mean it, and then he (whoever he is at the time) does something for me and gets upset that 1) I’m not crying from happiness and 2) didn’t do anything for him. I hate cut flowers of any flavours. I don’t consider dead plants to be representative of “eternal love”, and a waste besides. Get me something potted if you have to go that route. Buy me chocolate, if you absolutely have to, but for the love of everything do it the day after and catch the discounts. Save your time/energy/money/creativity for my birthday, which is the important date as far as I’m concerned.
I dislike Valentine’s day. There’s so much pressure from everybody to do something special. I get pressure from the gf. I get pressure from coworkers asking what I’m going to do. I even get pressure from the students I tutor. Fortunately, we decided to just stay in cook dinner and use our anniversary, one week from now, to do the whole going out thing. The only thing that is worse than Valentine’s day is Sweetest Day. I wish I could make up holidays.
My husband bought me a valentine’s coffee mug. My response– “Oh, that’s sweet. I hope you got this at the dollar store.”
Going on 19 years. Certainly not because of chocolate and overpriced hallmark cards. Though I do like chocolate.
I also like your blog, though I’m probably too old for it. But I have a 17 year old son and I keep trying to get him to read it. He won’t, so I read it and somehow I manage to bring up almost everything you say in our conversations.
In answer to your questions:
No, I don’t need a special day, but it can be nice to celebrate when other people are celebrating.
No, again, I don’t need a special day, but it can’t hurt.
No, I don’t *NEED* to go out, but it is nice to be romantic every now and then. (Although, preferably, not on a day when everyone else is out and the restaurants have two hour waits.)
Because hotels and restaurants are run by smart people, and with the larger than normal demand for their products, they’re going to try to get every dollar they can from the love-struck masses.
Is Valentine’s Day a scam? Probably about as much as any other holiday that encourages mass consumption on an annual basis.
Valentines Day…what a joke?
While i don’t believe that the day itself is a scam, the media have most certainly turned it into one. Simply put, if the media didn’t tell everyone to go out and do this and buy that (so they can profit) the so called “holiday” would cease to exist.
Also, as you mentioned MD, why do prices take such a jump on February 14th? Meanwhile on the 15th prices are halved (give or take). If that isn’t a media scam then what is?
If the true meaning of Valentines Day was to express love and gratitude then shouldn’t that be the other way around?
As a marketer myself, I can see the obvious business advantages to such days. However, if i told you to that, for example, June 7th was ‘Crash Your Car Day’, would you do it?
It is because of these reasons that I refuse to have anything to do with Valentines Day. When it comes to my partner, if she is unwilling to accept my beliefs then we probably shouldn’t be together anyway.
I am proud to take the stance that I take about this “media holiday” and hold a very similar stance to other events such as Easter and Christmas.
At the end of the day the only question that you should ask yourself is why should I do something special on that one particular day each year? Because the media tells you to? Shouldn’t you express your love for your partner every day?