The Times has a list, 20 reasons it's okay to hate Valentine's Day. Number 14 is
It's such a rip-off. With flowers, dinner and cabs, you’re looking at a hundred quid minimum. Wouldn’t she just prefer the cash instead?This has to be true, as any economist will tell you. Just giving her the cash must be pareto improving. With the cash she can either go out and buy what you would have bought, so she and you are no worse off, or she can buy what she really wants, and you would not have bought, so you will both be better off.
So next year, just give her the money guys.
Update: Over at the Stumbling and Mumbling blog, Chris Dillow takes issue with me about The rationality of Valentine's day. Homepaddock thinks me wrong as well. Jim Donovan disagrees with me here.
3 comments:
Valentine's day is supposed to be about showing love for each other. Surely a more equitable solution would be to give each other a hundred dollars which has the added advantage that you can afford to be far more generous, no need to stop at a hundred when a thousand costs no more plus the bragging rights at work are an added bonus.
"Homepaddock thinks me wrong as well."
But I'm a romantic not an economist :)
"But I'm a romantic not an economist"
Now I see the problem!!! :-)
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