Cupid may strum a man's heartstrings on Valentine's Day, but he pulls on his purse strings all year long.
On Valentine's Day, when American couples celebrate love and romance with flowers, candy, cards and dinner, the average man will shell out $128 compared with his lady companion who will spend about $74, according to a survey released by Discover Card.
A word to those who may get nothing for Valentine's but a good-night kiss: One-third of women surveyed said they wouldn't drop a dime today on their sweetie pie.
But spending behavior on Valentine's Day may be more the rule year-round rather than the exception.
When it comes those little extras purchased with "The Relationship" in mind, the average guy can spend as much as $12,000 a year on maintaining goodwill with the woman in his life, according to a breakdown of relevant expenses by Best Life magazine, a men's health magazine based in Emmaus, Pa.
Best Life consulted 13 sources, including the National Restaurant Association, market research firm Mintel and the National Retail Federation, and concluded that the cost of a 50-year marriage is $590,400 â€" not including inflation.
Flowers can run him $300; dinners out $2,526; theater, movie and concert tickets $752, according to the informal look at the cost of maintaining a 21st-century relationship.
Sound unbelievably high?
"It sounds low to me," said Charles Smith, 30, who's been married for a year and anticipates he spends as much $12,000 a year on dinners alone â€" because his wife doesn't like to cook.
Smith, the owner of a mosquito extermination franchise, said he expects to spend about $250 for Valentine's Day.
Bachelor restaurateur Eric Cormouls, 43, also said the sum sounded low, especially in South Florida where it simply costs more to entertain and buy, and where, in his view, women tend to expect more.
"In Miami, you can bring everything up by 30 or 40 percent," Cormouls said. Love may be blind, but somehow it stills sees green, he said.
Naturally, these numbers vary widely, by age, class and relationship status, but Sara Wells, an assistant editor at Best Life who authored the analysis, said the figures were meant to get consumers to take a look at what their relationships cost.
Melissa Gomez, 23, an administrative assistant for an executive recruitment firm, said the figure "was completely not accurate in my relationship." She has been dating her 26-year-old boyfriend for almost two years.
"I very much believe in the concept that it's 50/50. So, if we go to the movies this weekend, he may pay for the movie, but I will pay for dinner. It all depends more on who has more bills."
Is spending big bucks on a relationship for Valentine's Day or any other day really necessary?
"We have surely attributed the idea of giving a gift or spending money on someone as a sign of love," said M. Gary Neuman, a Miami-based psychotherapist and author of ``Emotional Infidelity: How to Affair-Proof Your Marriage.''
"But keep in mind, when we spend our money on someone there is a subtle commentary there that part of what I work for when I am away from you is to give to you, to enhance your life to some extent."
Undoubtedly, thoughtful gestures â€" many of which come with price tags great and small â€" go a long way in ensuring a happy relationship, he said. There are a couple of reasons why men may spend more than women, Lovell said.
"Traditional gender roles," she said. "When it comes to gift giving and relationship building, there is an expectation that he will pay for the eating and for the movies, both as an expression of his feelings and a step in working towards a partner relationship."
Plus, women generally make less than men, about 76.5 cents for every dollar a man earns.
"Since that is a historical trend, that will affect spending patters for men and women in a relationship," Lovell said.
Rodney Neely, 38, a construction foreman, said he will spend about $600 this Valentine's Day on dinner, flowers, concert tickets and a diamond tennis bracelet for his girlfriend.
Valentine's Day gifts are expected to ring up $13.7 billion in sales, according to the National Retail Federation, one of the most lucrative holidays for retailers.
As for how much he spends a year, he said it has never crossed his mind.
"Whatever it is, it's all right. I don't have any qualms about it, neither do most men."
For Alexandra Slata, 25, who writes for a Web site, it's not about the money.
"I don't care if he gives me a $2 or a $200 gift, I care about the attention."
