What do you spend for Valentine's Day ?

[ilovejack02]

Originally Posted by tlh0726

Would rather have someone show me he cared all year long because he wants to instead of just on one day when he knows it's expected of him.

This always makes me laugh too ... I wouldn't be married going on 18 years if someone only showed he cared one day a year. Mine just knows I love silly balloons , pink and red glittered things etc , so we just do it up a bit for valentines . No way I want chocolate or the other goodies every day of the year... I would gain way too much weight ; )

[worm761]

My DH got a happy Valentine's Day from me this morning. I am pretty sure that him saying it back is all I am getting. I am not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I don't buy the kids anything either. I will cook dinner tonight. I thought of renting a DVD from Redbox since there is a free code for today but the DVR is pretty full. I apologized to DH the other day for being the most unromantic wife a guy could ask for.

[wvjules]

Originally Posted by ilovejack02

This always makes me laugh too ... I wouldn't be married going on 18 years if someone only showed he cared one day a year. Mine just knows I love silly balloons , pink and red glittered things etc , so we just do it up a bit for valentines . No way I want chocolate or the other goodies every day of the year... I would gain way too much weight ; )

Yep, because that DO show they care on Valentine's Day only do it that ONE day of the year.

[KELLY]

Dh a card 6.00
Kids just a bit of candy 4.00 total
Cards for school 5.00 total 15.00

We will go out to eat Saturday for my youngest birthday since it is tommorow. I'm not a huge v-day person.

[AndreaDM]

I just stopped at a local chocolate shop and bought a pound of chocolate covered strawberries and a half pound of turtles, total $22.99. They are for all of us, if they survive the rest of the day with me at work that is. I pretty much bought them because *I* wanted them, but it will be the blanket Valentine's gift for DH & the kids as well. I'm not a card person, rarely buy them and when I get them from DH I sigh and think that the $5 should have went to a bottle of wine instead. We might have heart shaped pancakes for dinner, I had told DD I'd make them for breakfast but forgot I had an early meeting and left the house before she was up.

[AndreaDM]

Originally Posted by ManyMinnie

My DH isn't a random flower giver, either. He knows I love tulips and had to go to four different places on his way home to find them. The extra effort he showed made the gesture sweeter ~ even though he was late for dinner.

I agree! My favorite bouquet of flowers was the time DH (dating at the time) brought me a bunch of mini sunflowers (my favorite) he had picked from the side of the road. Knowing this was from county property and he could have been arrested made it so much sweeter!

[ManyMinnie]

Originally Posted by AndreaDM

I agree! My favorite bouquet of flowers was the time DH (dating at the time) brought me a bunch of mini sunflowers (my favorite) he had picked from the side of the road. Knowing this was from county property and he could have been arrested made it so much sweeter!

[Colleen27]

We don't really celebrate Valentines Day so our spending is very minimal - just Valentines for the 2 kids young enough to still have class parties and candy or small gifts for them to pass out. I think I spent $20 this year, half of it on the seed starter kids from the Target dollar spot that DD4 gave her classmates. But by coincidence we're going out tomorrow night (inlaws are taking the younger kids to Sesame Street Live, oldest is sleeping over at a friend's) so we'll probably spend another $75 on going out for dinner and a movie.

[ssawka]

Originally Posted by sallysallysally

he better spend on me LOL

And, I assume you are spending on him as well, right?

Originally Posted by tlh0726

Would rather have someone show me he cared all year long because he wants to instead of just on one day when he knows it's expected of him.

Why does it need to be either/or? I give DW something small for VD, but I also surprise her with signs of affection throughout the year.

[Princess Disney Mom]

I spent a bit on cards and candy for the elderly. My husband and I don't spend on each other. We figure the dinner out we don't do will be dinner out at Disney. Works for us. Been married 24 years.

[tlh0726]

Originally Posted by ManyMinnie

Why do some people assume because a DH gives a gift on Valentine's Day, he's a cad the rest of the year? That logic makes no sense to me.

I got a beautiful bouquet of tulips last night, my favorite.

Originally Posted by ilovejack02

This always makes me laugh too ... I wouldn't be married going on 18 years if someone only showed he cared one day a year. Mine just knows I love silly balloons , pink and red glittered things etc , so we just do it up a bit for valentines . No way I want chocolate or the other goodies every day of the year... I would gain way too much weight ; )

Originally Posted by wvjules

Yep, because that DO show they care on Valentine's Day only do it that ONE day of the year.

Because there are men (and women)out there that put there best foot forward during the dating process and once they are living with someone their "true" nature appears.

I know of 4 families that only live together because they financially cannot afford not too.

One of which called me this morning telling me about the card her "husband" gave her. this is the same man that dropped her off at the emergency room and then had to go get his hair cut. who could care less about the kids, won't go anywhere with them as a family, comes home and sits on his recliner watching tv and doesn't help with anything. This has been going on for 14 years.

Not everyone has a spouse that shows appreciation (big or small) on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

adding - so getting back to the post that the above quotes were referring to
the poster asked if it was a bad thing that they only did dinner. my answer to her was Nope.

I followed up with my opinion and what seems to strike a nerve with some people.

I am thankful for the relationship that my DH and I have, we work as a team. We shows respect and appreciation to each other throughout the year.
But there are others out there who are not as fortunate.

As other posters have stated it is to commercialized just like other holidays have become.
But to each their own. People need to do what makes them happy.

[Minnesota!]

Originally Posted by Dancemomof3

I'm a big proponent of the mid/end of winter holidays (we may or may not have a leprechaun visit our house the week before St. Patrick's Day). Winter in WNY can be so dreary. That being said, I'm not a fan of spending lots of money on trinket crap and candy.

My kids this year are each getting a new Crest Spinbrush, they were on clearance at Wal Mart after Christmas for $1.50 each with toothpaste. One Direction for the girls and Transformers for my son. They are each also getting a card, .50 each at Dollar General and a king sized candy bar as they do not like the candy in those heart boxes , on sale with a coupon they were free. I think I spent about $10 on candy for their classes and also their dance classes. We made all of our school exchange valentines this year because my craft room is getting out of control and I wanted to pare down a little. I usually make them heart shaped pancakes and they drink their oj from champagne flutes for breakfast and I reuse decorations or make new ones so the table is festive.

My husband and I usually eat a nice dinner together after the kids go to bed. He is a Dairy farmer and doesn't get out of the barn until 7:30. With 3 kids running in all directions having a quiet meal just the 2 of us is luxury enough. So all in all we spent less than $20 this year, which is pretty typical.

That is really nice! If we celebrated it - it would go something like that!

Originally Posted by disneydreamer82

We spend nothing! Seems like a silly holiday to us, sure it's tradition. But we aren't really a traditional couple

DH and I did it the first year we were together - nearly 20 years ago. But quickly moved away from it due to the commercialism.

I did buy cards for my kids to pass out, but that is the extent of it.

[purpledisneyprncess]

DH and I do not spend a lot on each other for Valentine's Day. He had made reservations for us at a restaurant where my parent's got married many years ago b/c I always talked about how much I loved it there (I went to a prom there yrs ago too)...it was such a sweet gesture! Anyhow, I researched it online and the restaurant part of the place did not get great reviews, so I asked him if we could go to our normal restaurant a couple days before V-day, that way we had the regular menu to choose from. Normally on V-day the restaurants have a limited special menu, I don't care for it. So aside from the $60 dinner, that was it for this hallmark holiday. I got the kiddos each a small box of chocolates. Also picked up a miniature Mickey and Minnie Mouse for each of them. We are going to Disney next month and are trying to limit spending, we will do enough of that down there.

[smallblackstars]

We don't spend anything on Valentines usually although DH came home from work this morning with a bunch of flowers for me and some little heart shaped chocolates for DD. I handmade DH a card this year as I do every year but its more fun now with DD helping out. As I keep telling my DH about Valentines, Birthdays and christmas, I don't need anything, I have you and I have my wonderful DD, any money you were thinking of spending just throw it into the 'Disney' bank account because we will sure as hell be celebrating when we get there!! (Is it a bit sad that I have a 'Disney' bank account??)

[cdrn1]

A card for each of the grandkids. The day after Valentine's Day I usually get a box of candy from my hubby...after it's been marked down. I definitely applaud his frugal nature!