Low-Cost Love Connection

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: Jeff Cohen, About.com, Author, Dating, Inc.
MANY OF US HAVE BARELY PUT AWAY THE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS WHEN THE
PRESSURE TO COME UP WITH A GREAT VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT HITS. IT'S A PRICEY
HOLIDAY -- AMERICANS SPEND ABOUT 13-BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY ON VALENTINE'S DAY. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT TO WARM YOUR HONEY'S HEART. IN TODAY'S HEADS UP - SCORING BIG RELATIONSHIP POINTS ON A LITTLE BUDGET.

TRACK ONE Length: 10
THIS VALENTINE'S DAY IS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF LORI AND PAUL
BARISH'S (BAA-rish) FIRST DATE. PAUL'S FIRST GIFT TO LORI WAS SIMPLE - BUT SOMETHING SHE TREASURED…A PAIR OF RED LEATHER GLOVES.

SOT
KEY @ : 12 Lori Barish, Had 1st Date on Valentine's Day
"They signified the start of a relationship to me I think…because there was something tangible that you have."

TRACK TWO Length:09
THE GLOVES ARE LONG GONE, BUT PAUL SCORED BIG FOR THE GESTURE. HE LIKES
TO COME UP WITH SPECIAL GIFTS TO SHOW HIS FEELINGS FOR LORI, SUCH AS HANDMADE
C-Ds OF HER FAVORITE SONGS…

SOT
NO KEY
"I still can't look at them without crying.

SOT
KEY @ : 29 ( SHORT) Paul Barish, Had 1st Date on Valentine's Day
"The whole process was somewhat of an act of love."

TRACK THREE Length:12
Source: Big Research
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN MAN SPENDS ABOUT 100 DOLLARS ON VALENTINE'S DAY
- AND WOMEN SPEND HALF THAT. RELATIONSHIP EXPERT JEFF COHEN SAYS
FLOWERS, EXPENSIVE JEWELRY AND CANDY HEARTS AREN'T THE ONLY WAY TO
MAKE AN IMPRESSION.

SOT
KEY @ : 44 Jeff Cohen, Author, Dating, Inc.
"Valentine's Day comes down to both the gift and the experience. The gift is something you give, but creating an experience is that much more important."

TRACK FOUR Length:13
COHEN SAYS THE POINT IS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO
YOUR PARTNER…CREATE A SPECIAL RELAXING BATH POTION…SET UP A ROMANTIC SPOT BY THE FIRE…WRAP UP SOME HOMEMADE LOVE 'COUPONS'… FOR THINGS LIKE A NIGHT OUT, OR A MASSAGE.

SOT
KEY @ : 1:05 Jeff Cohen, Author, Dating, Inc.
"Plan something that the other person would enjoy. You don't want to be Homer Simpson who gave Marge a bowling ball with his name on it."

TRACK FIVE Length:15
IF YOUR IMAGINATION FAILS YOU, THERE ARE SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT CAN HELP
YOU COME UP WITH INEXPENSIVE IDEAS THAT WON'T BREAK THE BANK.
BOTTOM LINE…IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF DOUGH TO IMPRESS YOUR VALENTINE: GIFTS FROM THE HEART LIKE A WARM TUB OR A ROMANTIC HOMECOOKED MEAL HAVE A LASTING AFFECT.

SOT
NO KEY
"They're just really meaningful gifts to me and I hope that I can keep them for years."

ANCHOR TAG:
AND FOR ALL THOSE SINGLES LOOKING FOR LOVE, NOT TO WORRY. COHEN SAYS
VALENTINE'S DAY IS A BONANZA FOR SINGLES, BECAUSE ANYBODY YOU MEET IN A BAR OR IN A CLUB THAT DAY IS QUOTE "GUARANTEED" NOT TO HAVE A GIRLFRIEND OR A BOYFRIEND.

SOURCE INFORMATION

Jeff Cohen,
Author, Dating, Incorporated
917-902-0232,
cohenwriting@aol.com
Jeff Cohen is the dating and relationship expert for About.com, the 10th most popular web site on the Internet. His latest articles on meeting someone new, online dating, getting serious, breaking up and engagement can be viewed at dating.about.com. Cohen has been a featured dating expert in major newspapers and TV shows including USA Today, New York Daily News, MSN Online and Voice of America.dating.guide@about.com

Feb. 13, 2006 - According to a 2006 Valentine's Day Consumer Survey conducted by BIG research, consumers will spend an average of $100.89 on Valentine's Day, up from $97.27 last year.
Sixty-one percent of consumers plan to celebrate the holiday, and men plan to spend twice as much as women. Consumers spend the most on their spouse or significant other ($64.63), followed by purchases for their other family members ($20.74), friends ($5.06), co-workers and neighbors ($4.38), and children's classmates and teachers ($3.52). What are people spending all that money on? Not surprisingly, 62 percent of consumers plan to buy greeting cards, 47 percent plan to buy candy, 42 percent celebrate with an evening out and 11 percent give gift cards or gift certificates. More than half of men and 14 percent of women plan to buy flowers. The Society of American Florists reports that Valentine's Day is the largest holiday for floral sales.

BIGresearch is a consumer market intelligence firm that provides unique consumer insights that are gathered online utilizing very large sample sizes. BIGresearch's syndicated Consumer Intentions and Actions survey monitors the pulse of more than 7,000 consumers each month to
empower its clients with unique insights for identifying opportunities in a fragmented and changing marketplace. www.bigresearch.com