Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so if you are a man and you have a girlfriend or wife, you should probably plan something.
I know there are a lot of people who hate Valentine’s Day. “It’s just a stupid commercial holiday to get you to spend money.” I have a different take on it.
It’s an opportunity to do something special for the person you love. Sure, you have that opportunity every single day, but how often do we actually do something special for the person we love outside of holidays and anniversaries? I personally don’t do it enough, so I appreciate Valentine’s Day for reminding me to be a good boyfriend.
Now I just have to figure out what to do.
Presentation is Everything
Valentine’s Day, more than any holiday or occasion, is all about presentation. Think about it. Would your girl rather have a dozen roses in a vase and a bottle of bubble-bath, or would she rather come home to rose petals (maybe 3 or 4 roses worth) leading her to the bathroom where you’ve drawn a hot bubble bath? Even though she’s technically getting less stuff, I think most women would prefer the latter because of the presentation.
How about strawberries? Strawberries are just groceries, but on Valentine’s Day when you change up the presentation and cover them in chocolate, they are a wonderful gift. You can get bonus points if you use a double boiler to melt your own chocolate at home and make them yourself.
Let’s say you do the old “go out to dinner” routine on Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing wrong with that. Now let’s pretend you go to Applebee’s or some other non-romantic restaurant. All you have to do is get all dressed up like you’re going to a fancy dinner, and it will change the entire dynamic of the evening. Two people in casual clothes at Applebee’s is dinner. Two people dressed up at Applebee’s is a date. Get it?
On Valentine’s Day, it really is the thought that counts. No matter how much you spend on a gift, show her that you’re thinking about her with how you present it and she’ll probably be happy. If she’s not, then my recommendation would be to find a different girl.
Carnival Links
Yakezie Carnival at Steadfast Finances
Carnival of Financial Camaraderie at Newlyweds on a Budget
Totally Money at 20’s Finances
Canadian Finance Carnival at Canadian Finance Blog
Carnival of Wealth at Control Your Cash
Carnival of Financial Planning at Skilled Investor Blog
Carnival of Retirement at Financial Success for Young Adults
Kevin McKee is an entrepreneur, IT guru, and personal finance leader. In addition to his writing, Kevin is the head of IT at Buildingstars, Co-Founder of Padmission, and organizer of Laravel STL. He is also the creator of www.contributetoopensource.com. When he’s not working, Kevin enjoys podcasting about movies and spending time with his wife and four children.
life is 90% presentation.
Meh. It is just a commercial holiday to get you to spend money. Whoopie.
My wife and I plan to go out for breakfast, really early, while most of you are still in bed. We’ll talk about various things, after which we will both go to work. We almost decided *not* to go out for breakfast because of Valentine’s Day, but we figured since we are early risers, it would not be too crowded at our favorite breakfast restaurant..
Later tomorrow evening, after I’ve finished with my violin students, I will give her a foot-rub just before bedtime. Just like I have done every night we’ve been together for the last 20 years.
Valentine’s Day is just a minor inconvenience. I don’t plan to do anything or spend any money that I would not have otherwise.
OTOH, *birthdays* and *anniversaries* are special events worth observing.
Valentine’s day is my favorite day of the year to be single.
It is kind of lame and rather expensive, but that doesnt mean it should be completely ignored (unless both partners are ambivalent about it)
White Castle!!!!
Strawberries is a very romantic fruit! Great idea. Making something because it takes time is very romantic. My wife made my favorite cookies for me.
I like that last paragraph. Thats good advice there