Over Half Of People Would Go On A First Date On Valentine's Day, So YOLO I Guess

I've never fully bought into the whole Valentine's Day thing. YES, I understand that there's an overabundance of tacky pink and red decorations at CVS stores across the country, and yes, restaurants across the nation are changing their menus to exorbitantly priced pre-fixed menus to celebrate "love." Having said all of that, it's clear people really buy into this overly commercialized holiday, so I can't help but wonder: Should you have a first date on Valentine's Day, or is Valentine's Day a day you should strictly reserve for celebrating with only your most loved ones?

Personally, I can't imagine going on a first date on Valentine's Day. Yes, I don't think the day is that big of a deal, but lots of people do think it's a big deal. What if I wind up on a date with someone who reads into the date more than I did? There's no time to really talk that out with the other person before a first date. PLUS, even if you did manage to squeeze in that conversation, there's no real way to know that someone's being totally honest with you before a first date.

In a survey of 1,000 people, put together by AskMen and Offers.com, researchers found that not everybody finds a Valentine's Day first date to be as weird as I do. In fact, of the people they surveyed, 90 percent of them feel a pretty solid amount of pressure to be coupled up on Valentine's Day, according to AskMen, and a good chunk wouldn't mind going on a Valentine's Day date. In fact, over half of the respondents (53 percent, to be exact) agreed that going on a first date on Valentine's Day is totally cool.

The real question has to do with how much effort people are willing to put into finding their Valentine's Day dates. And the answer is not a whole lot. Only a minuscule 7 percent of respondents agreed that they would actually use a dating app in hopes of finding a Valentine's Day date. So, like, yes, if they were out and about this past weekend and just so happened to be asked out on a date for Valentine's Day, they would probably go. But they aren't going to sit at home and swipe all weekend to desperately try to find a date for V-Day.

If you do have a date lined up for Valentine's Day, the survey also looked into what sorts of gifts you shouldn't be getting for your BAE, when you should be getting gifts, and how much you should be spending on them. So, yeah, you could say they have you covered.

Let's start off with the first question: What the efff should you even be getting them? Well, if your bae is a woman, stay away from two things: bottles of alcohol and lingerie. Those were the bottom two for most women, according to the survey. If your bae is a man, the rules are pretty much the same. They also would rather not receive alcohol and underwear.

So when should you go get your gift that's definitely not going to be alcohol or panties? Don't worry, you don't need to plan too far ahead. In fact, the largest percentage of the people AskMen and Offers.com surveyed (32 percent) said that they don't bother purchasing a gift until just a week before Valentine's Day. If you think that is cutting it close, try this on for size: Nine percent of people said they'd wait until the day of.

All right, now, finally, how much should you be spending? Well, according to the survey, while women are usually spending $46 on their baes, men are spending more at $63.

I, personally, would advise you to forgo splurging on the gift all together if this Valentine's Day marks your first date. Look at it this way: Being graced with your refreshingly wonderful presence for the first time ever is a gift in and of itself. THEY'RE WELCOME.

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