Have a Happy Un-Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a couple days away. OH NO! What on earth are you going to do??

Well, if you are the average man, you will spend $163.37 on your Sweetie. Ladies, you being the more sensible sex, will spend $84.72 on your Pookie Pie.

That's a LOT of money, isn't it?? On cards, candy, and flowers?? Dinner out??

I used to fall into that trap. Spending loads of money I didn't have just because Hallmark and friends convinced me that this was one of the only ways to celebrate love.

Now that I am older, I see the true scam that it is!! For adults, anyway. I think it is a staple of childhood for youngsters to write each other Valentine's Day cards with candy hearts attached. I can still remember how special that made me feel growing up. My face would turn various shades of crimson everytime I opened them up. Especially the ones from the girls.

So let the kids celebrate Valentine's with each other. It is a cute and worthwhile ritual of youth. But why on earth would a level headed adult spend 4 times as much on a dozen roses Thursday than they would today?? Why would you want to eat dinner in a crowded restaurant eating an overly priced dinner when you can take your Sweetie out TONIGHT and save money, time, and stress?

Valentine's Day is JUST A DAY ON THE CALENDAR!

Luckily, my Better Half agrees. In fact, she is the one who convinced me that we should just do what we always do--love and cherish each other EVERY DAY!

The same way you shouldn't cherish your parents only on Mother's Day and Father's Day, you shouldn't cherish your Snuggle Bear in mid February just because the commercials are telling you to.

The better way to go is to love your Snickerdoodle each day more than the last. To shower them with niceties and flowers and dinners and sunsets and songs when it is heartfelt and not a vibrating reminder on your Blackberry.

So stop calling every restaurant in town trying to find a last minute reservation and have a very happy UN-Valentine's Day this year. And take the money you WOULD have spent on each other and put it towards a vacation or dinner or night out when the crowds are thin and the love is ripe.

Ah yes. Love is grand. But that doesn't mean it has to COST a grand.