February is often known as the month of love – whether it’s romantic love, self-love, or the love of a friend. Since Valentine’s Day is a widely recognized and celebrated day around the world, it’s also become a multi-billion dollar industry thanks to many spending hundreds on dates and presents. But with high inflation cost these days, will this change the way couples celebrate Valentine’s Day?
To learn more, we wanted to see how much Americans will spend this year on their loved ones and how they plan to celebrate. We also wanted to see if folks still consider Valentine’s Dayan actual holiday. We asked 2,000 Americans that are currently in a relationship to find out.
All you need is love (and a budget)
With the day of love fast approaching, we asked Americans if they consider it to be a real holiday. To our surprise, 70.8% don’t consider Valentine’s Day to be a real holiday. However, despite the majority not considering the 14th a real holiday, they still plan to celebrate with their loved ones.
We asked respondents how much they plan to spend on Valentine’s Day this year – whether it’s on dates, presents, activities, or otherwise. California residents plan to spend the most on Valentine’s Day, compared to the rest of the country – averaging about $156.23. The second biggest spenders on love are New York residents, who will be spending an average of $140.96. Residents of Illinois follow closely behind with an average of $137.16, and Michiganders finished in fourth with an average budget of $131.22. These four states are the only ones that plan to spend over $130.
The state that will be spending the least this year on Valentine’s Day is Mississippi – $69.42. Perhaps Mississippians will be spending most of their time at home with their loved ones, rather than going out this year.
Teamwork makes the dream work
We asked our respondents a series of questions about their thoughts on Valentine’s Day dating etiquette, and how they plan to celebrate.
There’s always the controversial question of who should pay for the first date. In the spirit of the 14th, we asked the following question: “Should one person pay for the Valentine’s Day date or should they split the cost?” The majority, 73%, believe that both parties should split the cost of a Valentine’s Day date.
Following the last question, we then asked “Do you plan to exchange gifts with your partner on Valentine’s Day?” 68% say they won’t exchange gifts with their significant other.
The last question we asked was “What is your preferred Valentine’s Day activity?” 45% prefer a romantic evening at home – where they can share a special homecooked meal, movie night, etc. 21% prefer to go out for dinner, while 13% want to do an activity with their partner over a shared interest. Only 15% prefer a weekend getaway and 6% want to go out to a movie theatre.
Methodology
In January 2023, we surveyed 2,000 Americans that are currently in a relationship, engaged, and married. The average age in years is 36.3. 61.2% of respondents were women, 37.3% of respondents were men, and 1.5% identified as non-binary.
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