Holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, are something that many look forward to and are times when people can show just how much they love and care for those in their lives. However, large companies have taken advantage of this and now use it for their financial benefit.

Businesses have made it seem that the only real way to show how much people appreciate and love one another is by spending vast amounts of money on gifts for them.According to Statista, the U.S. was expected to reach under $26 billion dollars for planned Valentine’s Day spending.

For ages now, Valentine’s Day has been more about the gifts received rather than spending time with loved ones and showing love through the small things that truly matter.
When Valentine’s Day comes around, numerous companies make commercials and advertisements saying to “get this” or “get that” for loved ones. Additionally, anytime someone walks into a store in February, there will be an area of the store entirely just for Valentine’s Day.

There are many videos and pictures on the internet of couples buying either excessive amounts or expensive gifts for their significant other but rarely are couples seen just enjoying spending time together.

These videos, pictures, advertisements, and people in public doing the same thing could pressure people and make them believe that they have to spend large amounts of money to show their love since it’s viewed as “the normal thing to do.”

According to Nasdaq, 21% of those in a relationship feel obligated to spend more than they can afford on a gift, and 19% percent feels that their partner should do the same.

All these things can make some partially dread Valentine’s Day. For the next few days, social media is going to be full of couples who have either spent a ridiculous amount of money on gifts for each other or couples arguing over “not having enough gifts,” or “not having enough money spent on them.”

Rather than spending money on gifts or expensive outings, couples could use the day for spending time together doing the things they both enjoy and love, whether that be watching a movie, going for a simple walk or anything else that they enjoy.

People could also make their significant other a gift based on their interest and what they like such as a small drawing or even a little trinket.

Everyone just needs to learn that Valentine’s Day isn’t about what people get or how much it costs but rather it’s about spending time with those that they love.