Boycott the Valentine's Day madness

Last year, Valentine's Day-observing Americans spent an average of $123 on gifts, according to the National Retail Federation. This year consumers are expected to spend $102.50 on the same stuff as last year:

• About 36% will buy flowers.

• 16% plan to buy jewelry.

• About half (47%) will eat out.

• 58% will buy cards.

According to the National Confectioners Association, consumers will spend about $1 billion on candy alone. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

If my husband spent $100 on gifts instead of putting it into our emergency fund -- a far greater gesture of love -- I would make him eat the oil bill for breakfast.

For love and money

As I said, I'm all for romance. And during the dull days of midwinter, who doesn't need a pick-me-up? But as a country deep in debt, we don't need to spend billions of dollars on tokens of affection.

In the spirit of the economic stability that we're all trying to cultivate, here are a few ways to spend your $102.50 giving loved ones what they really care about right now, the gift of financial sanity:

• Make an extra payment to your beloved's credit card account. Take a photo of the check with your cell phone and send it to her with a loving text message: "This one's on me, honey!"

• As a new V Day tradition, add $102.50 to the mortgage payment each year. Run some numbers and print out the amortization table showing how much faster you'll pay off your loan. If we did this, we would pay off ours a full seven months ahead of schedule. Wowsa! Now that's devotion.

• Buy stock. Now is the time to invest that $102.50 in some terrific bargains that are sure to grow when the market bounces back. Which it will. Do it every year, and use the money for something truly special down the road. (If you're a newbie to investing, start with MSN Money's New Investor Center. If not, read Jim Jubak's columns for ideas.)

• Sweeten that retirement account. Secretly add $102.50 to Pookie's Roth IRA. How much could that be worth in 30 years? More than $1,000. She'll be thrilled when she realizes what that really says about your love.

• Pay bills early. Surprise your one and only by paying a couple of the March bills in advance (think small: car insurance, electricity, water or garbage). Point out that this builds in some financial breathing room rolling forward. Hug each other.

A recipe for success

OK, OK. Smart as those ideas might be, they kind of miss the spirit of the day. Devoid of romance, you might say.

I can't argue. So here is one steamy gift that your lover will never forget, and it will cost you only $2.99.

Are you ready? No chickening out, now. You asked for romance, so I'm going to give it to you. AND I'm going to save you $99.51.

So if I share, you have to promise to do it.

Promise?

OK, then.

One cheap, sexy Valentine's Day gift for 2

1. Buy a pint of whipping cream.

2. Go home.

3. Whip it up.

4. What, you need further instructions???

Will I take my own advice? Check the Women in Red message board to find out -- and share your own plans for boycotting a materialistic Valentine's Day.

Join columnist MP Dunleavey and a group of women as they seek to strip away the myths around money, liberate themselves from debt and find financial sanity. Follow the continuing quest of the Women in Red every other Wednesday.

Published Feb. 11, 2009

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