Not much I read in the newspaper shocks me these days. But I just about choked on my bagel as I read Jim Stingl’s column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the other morning. The headline was “Cost of love steady, but do we buy into it?” Now keep this number in your head: 103.

Stingl writes that according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, this is the amount we spend on average—in dollars—on Valentine’s Day. 103. Dollars. On average. That’s a lot of money being poured into confections, frou-frou dinners, cologne, lace undergarments, flowers and the like.

I was really taken aback that people spend that much money on things that don’t really last. But before you take me as some kind of Valentine’s Day grinch, know that I am all for the grand romantic gesture—I really am. I just think there are so many ways of doing it for no money at all, like one of the women quoted in the article who said she was writing a book of poetry for her husband. Grand gesture—and free.

But, if you’re inclined to spend triple digits on your loved one (and it appears that most of us are), then why not do something that is both a grand gesture and has lasting value? Give the gift of life insurance. It guarantees that your loved one (and family) will be taken care of financially even after you are gone. Of course it doesn’t come in a Victoria’s Secret or Godiva box, but this unexpected gift is one that will keep on giving long after Valentine’s Day is gone. (While you may not be able to get a policy between today and Sunday, you can certainly make your intentions known in a card, right? Check out this video. While the occasion is different the idea is the same.)

And that number—remember I told you to keep it in your head? Well, that $103 may get you pretty far when buying life insurance. In my case, it would pay pretty close to half of my one-year premium on a 20-year term policy. Of course, everyone is different, so that amount may stretch more or less for you when buying life insurance, but if the thought intrigues you, take the first step and check out www.insureyourlove.org for more information.

LIFE’s message to “Insure Your Love” didn’t quite reach Stingl at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but perhaps the wife of one of his readers wishes it had. Mike wrote to Stingl about how he spent a few past Valentine’s Days with his wife. Suffice it to say they involved ice fishing, pizza and beer. I think his wife would probably find life insurance a whole lot more romantic, don’t you?