News

How To: Survive V Day

Think green, not red

by Doug Trattner | Jan. 28, 2008 | 5:00 AM

So, you’re flying solo this year. There are two generally accepted approaches to dealing with this all-too-common predicament: You can run a lavender-scented bath and wallow in self-indulgent pity, or you can pretend that the miserable excuse for a holiday does not exist. There is a third — something we like to call Content and Single this Holiday. Or simply, C.A.S.H. According to the National Retail Federation, the average consumer spends $120 on Valentine’s Day cards, flowers, candy and juvenile stuffed animals. Toss in a satisfactory meal at a sit-down restaurant and that figure easily climbs above $200. We don’t know about you, but in our opinion, an extra $200 in the pocket is hardly something to bemoan. Here are some suggestions on how to spend that extra green:

Rescue a puppy and have it spayed. (You’ll always have each other.)
Round up a pack of single buddies, tie one on and stay out as late as you darn well please.
Purchase the complete first season of “Desperate Housewives” on DVD and see how badly the other half lives.
Get a tattoo. May we suggest “C.A.S.H.”?
Consult a psychic so you can begin planning for next year’s Valentine’s Day.
Join an online dating site such as eHarmony to find your soul mate.

Hah! We are totally kidding on that last one.

It’s Overrated
1 out of 10 men in our survey prefers a back rub to sex.
3.5 out of 10 women in our survey prefer a back rub to sex.

Doug Trattner

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Cleveland Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.

Get the Latest in Your Inbox

Whether you're looking for daily news bites, the latest bites or bite-sized adventures, the Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter experiences have something for everyone.