Once upon a time, there was a man by the name of St. Valentine. Emperor Claudius ll had banned marriage because he thought married men made bad soldiers. Valentine thought that was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. Enraged, Claudius threw Valentine in jail and had him sentenced to death. 

While in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and on Feb. 14 he sent her a letter signed “From your Valentine.” Before being killed, this was the tragic love story of the martyr St. Valentine. 

Today Valentine’s Day is what I would describe as a fairy tale turned into a nightmare. Every year, American’s raid their local grocery store, buy out the Valentine’s Day section and drain their bank accounts. For what? Love? 

Love should be given freely, spread often and shown every day, not just on Valentine’s Day. 

Before I get to the facts, and everyone assumes I’m a bitter girl who thinks love is dead, it’s actually the opposite. I’m also not here to attack anyone who chooses to spend outrageous amounts on their significant other. I consider myself a hopeless romantic, so do what you want to do and keep the love alive, just don’t drain your bank account doing it. 

According to the National Retail Federation, this year U.S. consumers were expected to spend $27.4 billion on Valentine’s Day, with an average per-person spending amount of $196.31.

Corporations spike prices on items as small as a single rose and chocolate. The reason may be equated to supply and demand, but in reality, corporations raise prices because they know American’s feel pressure to buy their significant other the perfect gift. 

They also know they’ll have the last-minute shoppers who forgot the “holiday” even existed and are willing to buy whatever is left at any price to save their neck. By the way, is it really a holiday if you have school?

A day celebrating love shouldn’t stress people out the way it does. Here’s how I see it.

You can’t buy love. If you actually want to celebrate the love you have between you and your significant other, do so through small gestures, rather than burning through your bank account. But, if you have an extra $196.31 in your bank account, and your significant other’s love language is through gifts, then spend to your heart’s content. 

If you’re looking for ways to fall out of the capitalist trap, try activities that don’t cost an arm and a leg, like making homemade cards, eating a homemade meal or having a night in.