Here’s a question: when did proving you love someone become a financial transaction?
Somewhere between Hallmark cards and ₹28,500 crore Valentine’s Day industry, love stopped being about connection and started being about consumption. And the worst part? We know we’re being played. We know roses cost ₹50 on February 13th and ₹500 on February 14th for the exact same flower. We know the “special Valentine’s menu” is the regular menu with different prices. We know chocolates in heart-shaped boxes cost double what they do in regular packaging.
But we buy them anyway. Because what if we don’t? What if not spending enough makes us look like we don’t care enough? What if our partner sees their friend’s gift and wonders why theirs isn’t as expensive?
Welcome to the Love Tax: the premium you pay for fear of being judged as a bad partner.
The Industry That Profits Off Your Relationship
Think about the messaging around Valentine’s Day. It rarely says, ‘show your partner you know them’. It says, ‘show your partner you spent on them’. Bigger bouquet = bigger love. Expensive restaurant = serious relationship. Generic jewelry box = you tried, at least.
That’s the real trick of Valentine’s marketing. You’re not just buying a gift. You’re buying reassurance. Proof that you care enough, that your relationship measures up. And there’s no upper limit on that, is there? There’s always a more expensive option. Always a grander gesture.
A simple way to ground this is to look backward before looking ahead. Checking last year’s Valentine’s Day expenses using something like Lxme’s expense tracker often reveals more than expected. It’s rarely just one dinner or one gift. It’s the cab rides, add-ons, last-minute purchases, and impulse decisions layered together.
Seeing the real number can be uncomfortable, but it’s also clarifying. It answers an important question. Did that spending bring lasting happiness, or did it simply make February tighter?
Buying gifts is not the problem. Spending money is not the issue. For many people, gifting is a genuine expression of affection.
What creates stress is when spending becomes performative rather than intentional.
Turning Valentine’s Day Into a Check In
Instead of treating Valentine’s Day as a one off expense, it can be a moment of alignment.
Some couples use it as a chance to revisit what they’re building together. Creating a vision board on Lxme, whether it’s travel, stability, or long-term security, shifts the focus from spending to direction. It answers a quieter question. Where are we headed together?
Others turn it into something ongoing. Lxme’s savings challenge makes it easier to build small habits together over the next few months, turning a one day celebration into a shared commitment. A commitment to check in on finances without stress or secrecy. Lxme supports this kind of consistency, where money becomes a shared project rather than an awkward topic.
Over time, these habits matter more than any single celebration.
What Actually Matters After February 14
A week after Valentine’s Day, most gifts fade into the background. What stays is how you felt.
Did you feel understood? Did you feel respected? Did you feel like your choices made sense for where you are as a couple?
Those feelings come from alignment, not excess. From intention, not comparison.
Some couples will choose to go all out and enjoy it. Others will keep it simple and feel just as connected. Both are valid when the choice is conscious.
Choosing Intention Over the Love Tax
Valentine’s Day does not need to come with financial stress. Set a number that feels honest. Choose something that reflects your relationship. Use tools that bring clarity instead of pressure.
The Love Tax is optional. You just have to be brave enough to opt out. And when you do, when you stop measuring romance in rupees and start measuring it in intentionality, you’ll realize Valentine’s Day was never about the money. It was always about whether you know your person well enough to make them feel seen.
That kind of attention is priceless.
FAQs:
Is it possible to enjoy Valentine’s Day without financial stress?
Yes. Set a realistic budget together, focus on thoughtful gestures over expensive gifts, and reject the idea that love must be proven through spending.
How can couples plan a low-cost Valentine’s Day?
Choose experiences over things (picnic, home-cooked meal, movie night), create DIY gifts that require time and personal thought, and allocate saved money toward shared financial goals instead of one-night expenses.
Is celebrating at home a good idea?
Absolutely. Home celebrations avoid restaurant markups, give you privacy and control over the experience, and let you redirect savings toward your future together rather than one overpriced meal.