Big spending on Valentine's Day: not always necessary

Even though the holiday has an emphasis on commercialism, there are many ways to spread the love on Valentine's Day without maxing out your credit card. Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art Director

It’s the one day of the year where you can buy a red and pink clashing outfit, and no one will think anything of it. Chocolate boxes are being devoured all in one sitting. Red hearts adorn the entrance of every restaurant everywhere, with most spending over $300 for three-course dinners. 

Valentine's Day is the fifth biggest consumer holiday of the year, and it grosses about $18 billion annually according to the Nation Retail Federation. 

Emi Thomas, a sophomore English major, said she knows people who feel pressured to get their significant others something expensive on Valentine's Day as a way of showing how much they care. 

“One of my friends in past years really liked a girl, so he got this forever rose thing, but the stem was gold plated," Thomas said. "There were diamonds — because that was her birthstone — covering the flower, and he got it engraved too. I was like, ‘That's a lot of money to be spending on the girl.'" 

In contrast, Thomas — a self-proclaimed fast food junkie — said she plans on getting In-N-Out with her boyfriend and then watching "How to Train Your Dragon 3" to set a casual vibe for the holiday.

Connor Wesson, a junior broadcast journalism and documentary major, told The Panther the pressure surrounding breaking the bank on Valentine's Day epitomizes corporate greed in the U.S.

“It's representative of American culture and society with how everything is just applied to make more money for somebody," Wesson said. "I'm sure the owners or the executive board of Hallmark is getting really excited right now, because they know that next week their bonus for the year is coming up.”  

Although the stress of buying a teddy bear, chocolates and jewelry piled on many people's minds, not a lot of money has to be spent to give a significant other a special gift. Wesson said his girlfriend created a poster for him by photoshopping his face onto Obi Wan Kenobi and putting pictures of his friends and family around the outside. 

“It's just a really sentimental gift, and it probably didn't take her more than maybe $20 to $30 to get the actual poster made, because she designed it on the computer,” Wesson said. “I would never get rid of it."

Caitlin Couch, a senior creative and cultural industries major, said she prefers experience-based gifts and would love to be taken to a wreck-it room for Valentines Day. 

“In a relationship, it's really valuable to have somebody who can see your best and your worst sides, so you can get out pent-up feelings and get sweaty together,” Couch said. 

Wesson said he, too, opted to gift his girlfriend an experience this year as he purchased tickets to a Feb. 14 Warriors and Clippers basketball game. While Wesson is a fan of the Warriors and his girlfriend roots for the Clippers, he said the rivalry adds a bonding experience that will be special to them.

“I get to watch her team go down, and it's going to be really fun on Valentine's Day,” Wesson said. 

Although celebrating love with a significant other is often a whirlwind, Couch said celebrating self-love and the love you have for your friends is important too. 

“(My friends and I) are celebrating with just some of our guy friends and just having a daytime party that's Valentine's Day and Love Islands-themed,” Couch said. 

Thomas said that when she’s back in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, she also enjoys dressing up in pink and red from head to toe with her friends, and going out to dinner with them to celebrate Galentine's Day. 

Even though she has a boyfriend, Thomas said she passes out candy to her friends so she can remind everyone of the true meaning of the holiday — much like little kids handing out paper Valentine’s Day grams in elementary school.

“It just reminds the people you're close to that you're still thinking of them,” Thomas said.