Big Money Spent On Valentine's Day

Feb. 13 (KGO) -- The last-minute rush is on as men and women scramble to get their Valentine's something special to show their love.

It's that time to find something special for the person or persons you love.

Matt Koehler, Valentine gift shopper: "I have three women at home, one being my wife and my two younger daughters."

A major credit card company, Discover, says men will spend an average of $128. But that doesn't mean they know what to get. This florist sees it every Valentine's Day.

Solomon Murdoch, florist: "They just don't know what to do, so they'll buy two dozen roses, three dozen roses."

Psychologists say men fear they will make a mistake choosing a gift when they should be communicating how they feel.

Kit Yarrow, Ph.D., Golden Gate Univ. consumer psychologist: "Guys really feel a lot of pressure to demonstrate themselves on this day. Society's kind of telling them today's the day. You're going to have to let your gal know how you feel."

So the need to use gifts to express their love leads men to spend from two to three times more than women at Valentine's.

Patricia Lee, florist: "Women expect more from men. Women are cheap."

Sammy Ali, San Francisco resident: "Which holiday isn't for women?"

Men don't give women what they want, according to the Discover survey.

Lingerie ranks fifth on men's shopping lists. Women rank it sixth.

Women said a night on the town was their first choice.

Woman: "We've been together almost 12 years. The only time that it was kind of a bizarre gift that wasn't really me was one teddy bear. But that was 11 years ago. Otherwise I feel like they get more and more perfect every year."

Those are the lucky ones, when expectations match. And then there are those cases when expectations are a mile apart.

ABC7's David Louie: "What do you think you're going to get for Valentine's Day?"

Woman: "A piece of jewelry."

ABC7's David Louie: "What would you really like to get for Valentine's?"

Woman: "A new boyfriend."

>> <font color="red">Video On Demand: Build Your Own Newscast</font>

Get more News »

• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•