‘Too commercial’: Loved-up Melburnians drop $140m on gifts for their loved ones for Valentine’s Day

Victorians are set to fork out a whopping $140m on gifts for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day — so, how much should you really spend on your partner? We asked Melburnians for their price points.

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again.

Supermarket shelves are flooded with heart-shaped chocolate boxes, florists are wheeling in stockpiles of roses and singles are bracing for the inevitable spam of smitten couples on their social media feeds.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Valentine’s Day has the hearts — and deep pockets — of taken Australians.

Aussies are set to spend a whopping $535m on Valentine’s Day gifts for their partners this year, according to market researchers Ray Morgan.

It marks the first time in history that figure is expected to top $500m.

In Victoria, the cost-of-living crisis is out the window when it comes to spending on loved ones.

In fact, we’re the second-biggest spenders in the country — expected to drop a total $140m on our special someones for February 14 celebrations. That works out at $150 per person.

Victorians are forking out $140m on gifts for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day. Picture: Supplied

So the Herald Sun hit Southbank to chat with Melburnians about what they really expect their partner to spend on them for February 14.

Maria Crilly, 30, is trusting her partner had made dinner plans for V-Day. To her, it wasn’t about the price tag, but the thought that counts.

Andrew Foster, 43, has plans to take his wife out to dinner and buy her a rose with a budget of about $120 — and doesn’t want anything in return.

Meanwhile, Jarrod Van Sambeek, 25, says the price depends on the relationship. For him and his partner, this year’s celebrations will be a picnic in the park after a spate of spending on overseas trips.

“(I’m) not super materialistic — it’s just more about quality time and enjoying doing things together,” he said.

“If you can’t just spend time with your partner and it’s about gifts, I don’t get that.”

Cass and Kirsty are swapping Valentine’s Day for Galentine’s Day and opting to celebrate female friendships on February 14.

Cass Mccew, 32, and Kirsty Miller, 28, aren’t spending a dime on partners, opting to celebrate their female friendships instead for “Galentine’s Day”.

It’s the same for Irene Kibuika, 32, and Mahira Rahman, 22, who have plans for lunch in Melbourne, hoping to beat the couples flocking out for dinner.

The girls said a “reasonable” spend after 10 years with a partner was $1000, at least for “a nice handbag”.

“It depends on how long you’ve been dating. I think it goes up the more years you’ve been dating,” Mahira said.

Irene and Mahira think loved-up Aussies should raise the price they spend on their partner each year.

Whatever the figure, most people were quick to point out the holiday had become “too commercial” in Australia.

Husband and wife Jo and Simon Exon, in their 60s, have never bought cards or gifts for each other. This year is the first time they’re going out for dinner on the holiday.

Thirty-three-year-old Malik Khaled, who said he rarely returned from the shops without a gift for his wife, called Valentine’s Day “irrelevant”.

Malik says Valentine's Day has been ‘too commercialised’ and thinks $200 is a reasonable price to spend on a partner's gift,

“There’s a million other ways to show love,” he said.

“I do find it funny, though, when I see girls online getting a bunch of flowers from their partner and they start crying — I’m like, are you crying cause you got the flowers today, or cause he never gets them any other time?”

Originally published as ‘Too commercial’: Loved-up Melburnians drop $140m on gifts for their loved ones for Valentine’s Day