Most men will groan and roll their eyes at the mere mention of Valentine’s Day. Of all the holidays, Valentine’s Day can be the hardest for men to keep up with the Jones’s. For the past month you have been bombarded with commercials for expensive diamond gifts and the price of roses has notoriously been known to skyrocket just days before February 14th. For those who have been laid off or foreclosed on in the past year, it just doesn’t make smart fiscal sense to blow hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars on shiny baubles.
Ladies: if you really love your man and know he doesn’t have a surplus of cash to spend on you this Valentine’s Day, communicate the fact that you’re not expecting an expensive gift. Suggest some cost effective ways to celebrate your love together that will take some of the pressure off of your sweetie. You can suggest cooking a romantic dinner together, picnicking or spending the day at the museum. Most importantly, don’t make him feel bad by repeatedly pointing out that your co-worker received a two-carat diamond necklace and all you got were some drugstore roses. If you’re just in it for the gifts, you should really reexamine your relationship because true love is not about showing off to your friends.
Men: the ladies in your life just want to know that you care enough about her to try to make this Valentine’s Day special. Even if you have no money in your pockets this year, you can still celebrate your love for her. Light candles, run her a decadent bubble bath complete with soothing music, pamper her with a massage, surprise her by cleaning the house from top to bottom – the possibilities are endless but you have to make the effort. Whatever you do, don’t rant about how Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday to promote consumerism. Women hate that and see that as a cop out. If you truly go the extra mile with effort this Valentine’s Day it won’t matter that you can’t afford diamonds.
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