Valentine's Day in a financial crisis? I can think of better things to spend my money on

It’s that time of year again when singles run and hide and the cynics start ranting about commercialisation: Valentines Day is here again. The shops started to stock an array of red and pink goods back in January, from the usual cards, bears and chocolates to pink champagne, inflatable lips (why?) and pretty much anything heart shaped. You can usually find the valentines’ day stuff next to the Easter eggs! But when most of the world is in serious financial crisis is it really appropriate to encourage people, many of whom are struggling to pay the bills or have been made redundant to spend what little money they do have on fairly useless junk? I suppose it’s a matter of choice. What if you have no choice? Well, you always have a choice: if you are with someone who demands expensive gifts then I think now is probably a good time to reconsider that relationship! You could argue that by spending the day eating chocolates and drinking from heart shaped champagne flutes and being soppy you can take a day off from worrying about money. There are ways to be romantic without spending any money. You can cook a nice meal at home, bake a cake, give your other half a massage, light lots of candles and stick a Barry White CD – the best things in life are free! And if you really feel the need for some sickly sweet heart shaped item, there is always the pound shop!