If you think you’ll be able to get away with spending the same amount of money on Valentine’s Day this year as you did last year think again. It’s not necessarily that your significant other is expecting a more extravagant gift, although they probably are, it’s just most common Valentine’s gifts are going to cost a lot more this year.
As we previously told you, the National Retail Federation reports that on average people will spend about $136.57 on Valentine’s Day, and it’s pretty apparent they’ll be getting a lot less for the money. According to the 2017 Cost of Living Index, couples will likely see about an 8% increase in costs for gifts this year over last year.
More specifically, a dozen long-stemmed roses will set folks back about $140.73, or $12 a stem, which is an 8.34% increase from last year, while a romantic dinner is up 30% to about $363. And if you think you can get away cheap with a movie, you’ll be mistaken, with tickets costing on average $23.80, which is an 8.18% increase over 2016.
And even the cheapest of the cheap gifts, a greeting card, will cause you to dip into your wallet a little more. The average cost of a Valentine’s cars is about $5.25, which is a 16.67% increase.
- As for the few things that won’t cost you more this year, a heart-shaped box of Godiva chocolates is still $100, while a silk nightie holds at $68 this year, and a one-ounce bottle of Chanel No. 5 is still $325.
Source: The Street