Valentine’s Day

One of the biggest holidays of the year is coming up next week! And by “big,” I mean expensive.

Valentine’s Day is a huge spending event in the United States. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend around $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year — which is up $2 billion from last year.

If you’re in a pinch and still need to find a last-minute gift, common ideas are candy, flowers, jewelry, clothing or an evening out. These are all items/experiences that you can purchase at local retailers, and here at “Smart Living,” we highly encourage you to buy your Valentine’s Day gifts at local shops versus on Amazon or at big-box stores.

Think about it. We spend billions on this holiday. Imagine our portion of that money staying in our community. Keeping our dollars local helps us to have better schools, nicer roads, and everything else that’s paid for by taxes from local governments.

Not to mention, giant businesses are firing workers by the thousands right now. (Looking at you, Spotify, Google and Microsoft). It’s a good time to remember that the more we support small businesses, the more job opportunities we create in our own community.

If you’d like a specific suggestion, I’d recommend checking out the jewelry at Carbaugh Jewelers, in Auburn. Full disclosure: they advertise with us! But I think their pieces are genuinely beautiful. They’re a great example of a local business that deserves our dollars.

I know Valentine’s Day has been chastised as a “Hallmark Holiday,” but I do think it’s nice to celebrate love in its many forms. Whether you give a gift to a family member, friend or romantic partner, if it’s genuine, they’ll appreciate it. It feels good to be recognized.

And all talk of spending aside, just saying “I love you” to the people you care about is so important. Those aren’t trivial words. If someone matters to you, let them know.

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day! ❚

Lindsey Lukas Senior Editor