Today is Valentine’s Day, and odds are good that if you have a significant other, you already have plans. Odds are also good those plans will cost you.

According to the National Retail Federation, 55 percent of consumers will celebrate Valentine’s Day and will spend an average of $143.56. That number is an increase from last year’s $136.57.

Total spending is expected to reach $19.6 billion, up from $18.2 billion last year. The numbers are the second-highest in the survey’s 15-year history, topped only by the record $146.84 and $19.7 billion seen in 2016.

Americans are looking forward to pampering and indulging their loved ones with flowers, candy, dinner and all of the other Valentine’s Day stops,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF. “With the holidays behind them and the winter months dragging along, consumers are looking for something to celebrate this time of year.”

No love in Alabama?

Alabamians who have not felt the sting of Cupid’s arrow should consider looking elsewhere. A recently released Wallethub.com study found Alabama to be the third-worst state for singles. Only West Virginia and Arkansas fared worse, according to the study.

Alabama scored poorly in the following categories:

• Dating opportunities: 37th;

• Dating economics: 38th; and

• Romance and fun: 45th.

Alabama also scored poorly in the categories of movie theaters per capita (42nd), online dating opportunities (45th) and mobile dating opportunities (47th).

Mobile dating

If you’d prefer to meet your potential mate through technology as opposed to the library or supermarket, you’re not alone. More than 50 million Americans have tried at least one dating app, according to published media reports.

The most downloaded of these apps are Tinder, OkCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, Bumble, Match.com and JustDating.

A recent survey conducted by JustDating found that 63 percent of American men started using dating apps at the age of 18, whereas 55 percent of women first used them at the age of 19. Also, when asked about what they look for in a dating profile, 59 percent of male users claim to look for a unique profile description. Female users look for shared interested and things she might have in common with the other person.

Another question on this survey was, “What is a deal breaker for you while browsing a dating app?” and to everyone’s surprise, the most popular answer wasn’t “a nice body” or “a pretty face.” In fact, 59 percent of male users responded that an interesting profile description was more appealing than a pretty photo. Daniel, 29, said “Most woman can take a good selfie and edit it to look almost unreal, but few women can think of a funny or catchy phrase to describe themselves.”

Valentine’s events

Couples who want to continue celebrating Valentine’s Day throughout the week are welcome to participate in two upcoming events. From 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, the Lester Haunted Hospital will host “Love’s Pain,” which will purportedly illustrate “the true horrors of love gone wrong for Valentine’s Day.”

Tickets are $15 per person or $25 for couples. Admission is free to active-duty armed forces and veterans and active-duty police and firefighters (volunteer firefighters not included).

Also happening this weekend is “Pour Your Heart Out,” sponsored by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Sloss Furnaces. The event runs from 7–11 p.m. at the center.

Tickets are $90 per couple of $45 for an individual ticket. Guests may carve their own Valentine design into a 4-inch-square sand and resin mold the Sloss metal sculptors will fill with molten scrap iron from an on-site 75-pound coke-fired furnace. Once cooled, the tiles are an up-cycled work of art and a special Valentine keepsake.

For more information or to reserve tickets, visit http://bit.ly/2Dz5uh7.