Saturday, February 11, 2012

Books for Valentine's Day

I buy cut flowers every week. Not only is a touch of color welcome in a home decorated with paints and fabrics called sand, seascape, chamois, and misty-morn, but it feels homier to have a vase of flowers on the coffee table.

This week no flowers will cross my threshold. Why? Because it’s Valentine’s week. The same sized bunch of cut tulips that last week cost $4.00, this week is $7.00!

The bouquet of asters and Alstroemeria usually priced between $6 and $8 is priced at $19.99 this week.The red, pink, and white bouquets frequently on ‘Manager’s Special’ for under $10 are priced at $24.95!

I’m not talking florist prices, either. After checking two different supermarkets (in different chains), I walked away empty handed.
 
When I voiced my dismay to one store’s general manager about the prices of even “cheap” flowers, he responded with “I’m sorry, but we  don’t set the prices.” (Some unknown force sets them, right?)
 
At the next store I spoke to the flower manager. “I buy flowers every week, but this week I refuse to pay twice as much as I did last week,” I said.
 
The reply to this statement left me aghast. “I understand,” she said, “but men don’t know how much they [the flowers] cost last week.”
 
Men! Are you out there? Reading this? Do NOT buy your sweetheart flowers for Valentine’s Day! You are being screwed (and not in the way you want to be--pardon my crudeness). Perhaps you could buy your sweetheart a book, instead. There are plenty to choose from, and their prices are never marked up from one week to the next!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shocking that men are being screwed this way. I am usually aware of the price of red roses skyrocketing near Valentine's day but not asters!? But love the idea of a good book or a home made card, too.
Lucy

Anonymous said...

Love this post... Denise