Plan Ahead For Your Sweetie

February 14 is Valentine's Day, and this post will undoubtedly serve as a final reminder to many to procure a gift for that special someone.

Valentine's Day is more than a romantic holiday; it is big business.  According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) it is estimated that Valentine's Day 2022 will witness $23.9 billion spent on gifts for spouses, partners, friends, pets and more. This is up from $21.8 billion spent in 2021 and the second-highest year on record.  2020 holds the all-time record with $27.4 billion spent.  And it isn't just e-commerce retailers who expect to rack up sales.  $8.1 billion will be spent on jewelry, approximately $2 billion will be spent on flowers with an additional $2 billion spent on candy.  

Valentine's Day was not always as expensive as it is today. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. This custom gave rise to the saying to wear your heart on your sleeve, meaning it is easy for other people to know how you feel.

If you don't want to break the bank or sew patches on your sleeves, you can just wish someone a Happy Valentine's Day with a phone call.  After all, Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy," on Valentine's Day in 1876.