Valentine’s Day is a scam designed for people to spend money; it is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Yes, really, for every Valentine’s Day card you buy, capitalism is winning and as history tells us, capitalism only serves those on the very top. I’m all for love and showing it in many ways, but what I’m not for is making the rich richer. So, what do we do? There are ways to show the people you love how much you care in other ways.

Don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Perhaps this seems like a radical idea, but it shouldn’t be because the concept of Valentine’s Day is actually a bit skewed and muddied. The legend of Valentine’s Day dates back to 289 A.D.E when allegedly a priest, St. Valentine, was jailed for marrying people after Emperor Claudius ruled it to be illegal. Alongside this, the priest allegedly passed a love letter through the bars of the prison with read: “from your Valentine.” Weird concept, right?  Right. However, there isn’t any historical documentation to back this up.

Fast forward to 1913: Valentine’s Day became a holiday after Hallmark launched the very first Valentine’s Day card. Humans are big saps when it comes to love, so naturally, we grabbed onto this and ran with it… but ran too far with it. By the ‘80s, the Valentine’s Day industry included large bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolate and heart shaped jewelry. Now in 2019, there’s this strange concept if you’re single on Valentine’s Day or don’t receive any Valentine’s Day cards, you’ve failed somehow. That’s just not true.

Make homemade gifts and sweets.

Maybe you’re a hopeless romantic and just have it in your blood to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If that’s the case, go for it, no one is stopping you. But why not make a homemade card or make chocolate hearts from scratch? If it’s the thought that counts, that will sure earn you some brownie points, no pun intended. In general, people love to receive gifts, personally, I love homemade gifts over something store bought any day. There are countless of do-it-yourself (DIY) and how-to’s on that will surely win the heart on Pinterest and DIY social media accounts. If you fail, you fail, but it will mean a sweet, comedic memory for you and your significant other to laugh about for (hopefully) years to come.

Not a crafty person? Support an upcoming artist for their love-dueling work.

Okay, not all of us have time to spend hours working on a homemade gift, I get it, I’m also strapped tight for time. But if you’re really in need of a quick fix, go to your local bakeries, hop on Etsy or any other small-business platform. Buy some jewelry, baked goods or cards from upcoming bakers and artists. Not only are you supporting someone else’s dream, you’re also not supporting a large conglomerate that’s hungry for money. It’s a win-win.

At the end of the day, it’s your decision to celebrate Valentine’s Day and feed into capitalism or not but remember: it’s our job as consumers to dictate what companies do with our wallets. Love yourself and others.