Spending on a Tennessee Valentine Who’s Not Your Spouse?

Spending on a Tennessee valentine who’s not your spouse?

What is it about Valentine’s Day that motivates seemingly normal Tennesseans to share the worst of prose? (“I’m out HUNTING for a VALENTINE. Are you GAME?”)

Why is it perfectly acceptable on Valentine’s Day to consume the entire gift-box of Godiva chocolates or pop silly sweethearts conversation hearts like Pez? By the way, Necco produces about 100,000 sweethearts per day from mid-February through January. (And who writes that stuff anyway? “High Five” “Kiss Me” “Puppy Love” “Only You” “True Love” “Be Mine.” Would divorcée anti-sweethearts include “Bum’s Rush” “Bite Me” “It’s Over” “Only Me” “True Grit” and “Be Gone,” just sayin’.)

Valentine’s Day is also the second biggest holiday of the year for greeting cards sellers. Hallmark notes that “approximately 142 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged industry-wide.” (That doesn’t include the little card sets for children’s exchanges). Hallmark should know, it’s been selling these seasonal cards since 1913.

If our penchant for valentines is any indication, true love isn’t free so budget accordingly.

Necco sweethearts

Valentine’s Day and the Dissipation of Marital Property in TN Divorce

All joking aside, spending marital cash on an extra-marital affair can cut against you in more ways than one. First, adultery is one of the grounds for divorce in Tennessee. As many a divorce lawyer will attest, nothing leaves a paper trail like regular gifting to a special friend.

Second, in a divorce, assets determined to be wrongly dissipated by one spouse can be ordered repaid to the other spouse. The Dinstuhl’s chocolates, FTD roses, dinners-for-two at Restaurant Iris, and diamond cufflinks for someone other than your spouse may cost you twice.

And, no, living separately from your spouse before wasting marital assets on a paramour doesn’t make it right. Watch an informative three-minute video about the Dissipation of Marital Property in Tennessee Divorce Law presented by Miles Mason. After watching the video, you may want to reconsider buying that gift for the valentine who isn’t your spouse.

How Much Do Americans Spend on Valentine’s Day Gifts?

Face it, most of us like to feel special and be the focus of attention at least once a year. What better way to show how much you care for someone than with a gift on Valentine’s Day?

One of the most chocolated days of the year – if not the most – has to be February 14. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global chocolate market will be “worth $98.3 billion by 2016.” Here in the U.S., approximately 58 billion pounds of chocolate will be sold (that represents a cool $1.5 billion in sales).

Although we cannot discern with accuracy the volume of Valentine’s Day retail spending on extra-marital relationships, we do have some surprising facts to share, thanks to an annual Valentine’s Day retail survey.

The National Retail Federation’s 2014 Valentine’s Day spending survey indicates some belt-tightening this year when it comes to showering gifts on valentines. In the first two weeks of January 2014, Prosper Insights & Analytics polled 6,417 consumers on their anticipated Valentine’s Day spending. Here are some projections based on that NRF survey:

● A total of $17.3 billion will be spent dining out, on flowers, jewelry, greeting cards, confections, clothing, and other gift items.

● The average person will spend about $134 (that’s up a few dollars from 2013).

● Over 51% of gifters will send greeting cards.

● Almost 49% will buy candy.

● Just over 37% will give flowers.

● 37% will go out-on-the-town for an evening of fun, spending $3.5 billion.

● Only 19% will give jewelry (but that will account for $3.9 billion in sales).

● 16% will buy some kind of clothing (probably not winter clothing).

● 14% will give gift cards.

● Even pets will be showered with gifts, about $5.50 on average.

 Are you wondering who spends more, men or women? By far and away, men do. This year, the average man is projected to spend about $108. Modest by comparison, the average woman will spend just under $50.

A “valentine” can refer to a person, a card, or a gift. But when striving for success (or assuaging guilt), you may want to show up with all three, just sayin’.

Memphis TN Divorce Lawyer

The Miles Mason Family Law Group handles Tennessee divorce, child support, alimony, child custody, and parent relocation. Download our free e-Book, Your First Steps: 7 Steps Planning Your Tennessee Divorce. A Memphis divorce lawyer from the Miles Mason Family Law Group can help. To schedule your confidential consultation, call us today at (901) 683-1850.