My husband and I have been celebrating Valentine’s Day together for 7 years. We’ve had romantic dinners, we traveled, watched concerts, and went on staycation – and every year, I’d always end up being the receiver of everything nice and fancy.

In reality, the idea of demonstrating “love” during Valentine’s Day means big business, as couples spend a huge sum of money for one day alone (sometimes, for even just a few hours). Does that mean the more you spend, the more meaningful your celebration becomes? Not really. I’d rather spend money wisely and have my date’s five hours of quality and undivided attention, than spend Php 4,000 (or more) on the usual romantic dinner date, surrounded by other couples in a restaurant.