Valentine's day rip-off

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Valentine's Day is almost upon us again. Read the following article about how much the Brits spend on February 14th.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day in Spain? Is it a day that you would rather forget or do you look forward to it? What is the most romantic Valentine's Day story that you have heard of?

How much do love's labours cost?

The price of love remains difficult to quantify, according to a series of surveys ahead of Valentine's Day.

While one suggests the average spent on a loved one on 14 February is £71.25, another says the amount is £50 lower.

Even so, men seem to be digging deeper into the heart of their wallets, especially those aged 25-34.

Valentine's Day has become a multi-million pound industry, with consumers blitzed with deals to tug on the purse-strings and heartstrings.

Love don't cost a thing

The average shopper can expect to be bombarded with more consumer surveys than Valentine's Day cards on February 14.

But they offer widely fluctuating accounts of how much the typical person spends on the subject of their affections.

A poll for online payment provider PayPal claims that Britons will spend an average of £71.25 each on gifts, some 15% of their weekly salary.

Yet, a survey for price comparison website uSwitch.com suggested lovers are looking for a genuinely priceless present.

It claimed one in three could not afford to celebrate Valentine's Day and the average amount spent on a partner would be £22.69.

"Valentine's Day is traditionally a time to splash some cash, but with consumers tightening their belts this year romance may be in for a rocky ride," said director of consumer policy at uSwitch, Ann Robinson.

War of the roses

Laura Taylor, owner of independent florists Green Earth Flowers, of Poynton in Cheshire, said that "men being men" meant most orders would come in on Wednesday, or on the day itself.

"I am not so sure they worry about how much they spend. If they want a dozen red roses, they'll get a dozen red roses," she said.

She charges £90 for 12 red roses, but £60 for a dozen pink roses.

Wholesale prices leap at this time of year, she said, and growers have faced added costs owing to rising energy bills.

Flowers and chocolates top the chart of Valentine's Day gifts, but many potential recipients are prepared for disappointment, according to research by Alpharooms.com.

Some women expect to receive tacky underwear, cheap perfume and "flowers from the garden", while men predict "the usual meal at an overpriced restaurant, which they'll be expected to pay for".

Vocabulary:

survey:


average: 


tug on sb's heartstrings / purse strings:

 

 

Comments

Sonia said…
Hi Graham:
Tradicionally, in Spain Valentine´s Day is celebrated spending on your partner like a sign of love or doing special something each other, normally romantic something. I think it´s like in Britain.

Now, there are a lot of things to give, normally useless things or even tacky things but the most popular it´s to give flowers.I like it very much.

I remenber Valentine´s Day of last year, it was horrible for me and this year I´m not looking forward to it. Moreover, I don´t mind that Valentine´s Day exits like a day to celebrate love on a partner. I think is very beautiful and romantic.

At this time, I don´t remenber a none romantic Valentine´s Day story to tell you, I´m sorry!.
Friday, 15 February, 2008
Unknown said…
I´m not used to celebrate Valentin´s Day. In fact I normally forget it and realize when I heard something related on the radio or when, after the Chirstmas break, I start to watch again many adverts of parfums on television. This year my boyfriend wasn´t in Madrid in that day, so it´s possible that he´d miss me a little bit more than in other occasions. When he phoned me at night he told me that he had bougth some chocolates for me.I was very pleased because I love him and also the chocolates but I thought he could´t avoid to taste it before the weekend when he´d return back home. But when he gave me the box last saturday it was intact. It was a very beautiful red tin can box with pictures that looks like the fifties ones. I liked very much taking the chocolates with him at the train station when he arrived in Madrid.
Tuesday, 19 February, 2008
Graham said…
TRADITIONALLY,Valentine´s Day IN SPAIN is celebrated spending on your partner AS a sign of love or doing SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR each other, normally SOMETHING ROMANTIC. I think it´s like in Britain.

Now, there are a lot of things to give, normally useless things or even tacky things but the most popular THING to give IS flowers. I like THEM very much.

I remember Valentine´s Day LAST YEAR. It was horrible for me and this year I´m not looking forward to it. Moreover, I don´t mind that Valentine´s Day exists AS a day to celebrate love WITH a partner. I THINK IT is very beautiful and romantic.

At this time, I don´t remember ANY romantic Valentine´s Day story to tell you, I´m sorry!.
Friday, 22 February, 2008
Graham said…
I'M NOT USED TO CELEBRATING Valentine´s Day. In fact I normally forget ABOUT it and ONLY realize when I HEAR something ABOUT IT on the radio or when, after the Chirstmas break, I start to SEE ALL THOSE adverts FOR PERFUMES on television.

This year my boyfriend wasn´t in Madrid ON that day, so HE MIGHT HAVE MISSED me a little bit more than ON other occasions.

When he phoned me at night he told me that he had BOUGHT some chocolates for me. I was very pleased because I love him and also the chocolates but I thought he couldn´t HELP TASTING SOME before the weekend when he´d GET back home. But when he gave me the box last saturday, it was intact. It was a very beautiful red TIN box with pictures that LOOK AS IF THEY ARE FROM THE FIFTIES. I REALLY liked GETTING the chocolates FROM him at the train station when he arrived in Madrid.
Friday, 22 February, 2008
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