Ah, Valentine’s Day — the time for stuffing our faces with chocolate, scrambling for a last minute date and getting hit from all directions by flying arrows. Romance is truly in the air.

But what about those who are single? Or all the poor fools who have used this day in the past to profess their love to somebody only to get rejected?

The pressure, anxiety and stress that Valentine’s Day induces is completely contradictory to what the holiday is supposed to be about. It is possible to show family, friends and significant others how much you love them without spending an entire paycheck on roses or making sure that they have the perfect day this February 14.

Over the past two centuries, Valentine’s Day has become a major consumer holiday. This is a dream come true every year for Hallmark, where we can expect about 145 million Valentine cards to be sold this month.

But cards are only the beginning of the Valentine’s Day spending frenzy. More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of candy will be sold this year, and 220 million roses will be produced just for the special day.

Candy and roses may be the ultimate symbol of romance for some, but for many others, these gifts mean nothing but calories and thorns.

On average, each person spends about $130 on Valentine’s Day gifts. Obviously some people spend much more and others much less, but if you are the type that feels the need to acknowledge everyone in your life with a pink and red card this February, you’d better believe that number is going to add up fast.

Valentine’s Day gets pricey, but the other customs that go along with the holiday can be devastating to more than just your wallet.

Each Valentine’s Day is like the promposal that doesn’t get to end in high school. If you’re single and the day of love is approaching, the pressure is on to find a date before February 14. People ask each other out on real dates for superficial reasons just so that they don’t have to stay home alone scrolling through social media feeds full of their friends’ perfect nights. Let’s leave this tradition in the past and not lead others on if we don’t plan on seeing them again after one apathetic evening.

Another unfortunately common scenario is the breakup right before Valentine’s Day. The second most popular time to separate with your partner is the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. The first is right before Christmas (holiday cheer, am I right?).

One reason for this is that the stress of coming up with the ideal date night with a gift to match is too much for some people to handle, and they decide to cut off all ties with their person before they get a chance to screw it up.  The result is an ugly separation in the beginning of February, just in time to make Valentine’s Day a night to resent for years to come.

Oftentimes couples will have varying and unrealistic expectations for each other when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts. Nothing is more awkward than receiving a diamond ring when all you have to give in return is a card and a box of SweeTarts. Making sure that you and your partner are on the same page when it comes to the gift exchange is crucial if you want to remember this holiday as a positive experience, rather than an embarrassing one.

Valentine’s Day traditions are fun for hopeless romantics and elementary-aged children who like to cut out paper hearts for their friends. As for the rest of us, February 15 cannot come soon enough.

Let’s try to celebrate this Valentine’s Day by telling our loved ones what they mean to us rather than buying it for them. ‘Tis the season for love, and if that’s not the case for you, go eat some chocolate anyway.