Don't Expect Diamonds on V-Day

This may not be the year you get that Tiffany necklace: Americans plan to cut back on lavish displays of love this Valentine's Day, MSBNC reports. One survey predicts that holiday spending will drop 15%, from, says another survey, about $123 to $103 per person. The plunge comes after nearly a decade of growth.

To save cash, some will forgo pricey meals or split dessert; others will opt for cards instead of flowers—or send roses on Feb. 12 at a lower price. Said one former Romeo: “We’re able to make it day-to-day, but it’s not like it used to be. Valentine’s Day is a joke because it’s a luxury.”
(More holiday stories.)