The Crazy Amount of Money America Spends on Valentine's Day
Americans are expected to spend a near-record $20 billion this Valentine's Day, but what are they shelling out all that money for? Lisa Rowan, Writer at The Penny Hoarder, joins Your Cheddar to discuss how you can keep the love in your wallet this Valentine's Day.
If you can believe it, Americans will spend $4.7 billion on jewelry, $3.7 billion on an evening out, $2 billion on flowers and $1.8 billion on candy! But because of supply and demand, a lot of the usual Valentine's Day gifts go up in price. Rowan says you may want to avoid going to a restaurant or booking a hotel room for a romantic evening because prices could increase up to 30%.
So what should you do if you don't want to break the bank but still want to give your partner a little something? Rowan suggests thinking about what their hobbies are and aligning with something they love to do. Maybe its a smaller gesture, but it will mean more than flowers or candy.
Investors weren't jolted by the downgrade because they already know the fractured state of U.S. politics, the size of the country's public debt, and the challenges it faces to pay for Social Security, Medicare and other expenses.
The national average for gas prices stood at about $3.78 a gallon on Tuesday — about 25 cents higher than that seen one month ago, according to motor club AAA. While today's prices at the pump remain far lower than they were last year, when energy costs soared worldwide in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts say such a jump is unusual.
