Store shelves are decked out in pastels of pink, red and white. Stocked to the brim with chocolates, candy, flowers and cards, it is easy to tell that Valentine’s Day is here.

Americans spend hundreds of dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts, but such grand gestures are unnecessary in expressing adoration of one another.

A holiday celebrating love and affection, Valentine’s Day has been around since the 14th century. From buying candy and flowers to giving handmade cards, lovers and friends express their affection for one another in a variety of ways.

A study conducted by the National Retail Federation found that Americans will each spend roughly $175 on Valentine’s Day gifts. This year, Americans are expected to spend $23.9 billion on these items in total, an increase from $21.8 billion in 2021. According to CNBC, a third of the study’s 7,728 participants are “somewhat likely” to incur credit card debt from Valentine’s Day spending.

One of the reasons spending is so high is because, as cited in the NRF survey, 41% of participants wanted the “gift of experience,” such as concerts or sporting events. The average cost is around $91.86 each for concert tickets and $79.31 for sporting events.

But spending so much money on Valentine’s Day, even going so far as to incur credit card debt, is, frankly, not worth it. Ultimately, the gift of love and care means much more than items and profligate endeavors.

“You don’t have to do the most for it to be special,” junior Kiara Knight said. “I feel like your interactions with the person and the attention you give them and the attention that’s given back is really what’s important about how you celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

Even small gestures can go a long way in the expression of love. According to a study conducted by Pennsylvania State University involving 495 participants, small gestures including showing compassion made people feel loved the most.

Compassion, such as supporting partners when they are struggling and being attentive when speaking to them, is a crucial aspect of a relationship — and can be more expressive than any grand gesture on Valentine’s Day.

Even though small acts of love are arguably the most affectionate gifts, spending money on others to show appreciation is not unacceptable; in fact, giving gifts can be an affectionate way of nurturing a relationship and spreading happiness. Especially for those with a love language of gift giving, finding a special present to show much well they know their loved ones can be very heartwarming. But listening to, giving advice to and being there for your partner can trump any gift worth hundreds of dollars.

Love is about choices — and we can choose not to go all out on Valentine’s Day, because in the end, love is not defined by the grandness of the gesture, but rather what is in our hearts.