Love on Credit: The Valentine’s Day Financial Suicide Mission

Once again, February 14th is around the corner, and the hopeless romantics are sharpening their financial guillotines, ready to execute their bank accounts with surgical precision. There’s something in the air—an intoxicating mix of desperation, societal pressure, and the sweet scent of financial illiteracy. Someone, somewhere, is about to take out a loan to fund a Valentine’s Day fantasy. And in that moment, financial ruin will be draped in red roses and overpriced candlelit dinners.

Let’s get this straight: borrowing money to finance romance is the economic equivalent of setting yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. It is the financial wisdom of a pigeon in a chess match—completely out of place and hopelessly doomed. The size of your bank overdraft does not measure love, nor is romance found in your M-Shwari loan balance. If you need debt to impress your partner, you don’t need love; you need @TheAbojani for financial literacy and mentorship.

Research from the Central Bank of Kenya shows that household debt is rising at an alarming rate and is the biggest culprit. The urban romantics believe that a “soft life” must be maintained at all costs—costs they cannot afford. The Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya report shows that over 65% of Kenyans rely on informal loans from friends, mobile money apps, and predatory digital lenders. Now, imagine having to explain to a digital loan officer why your last disbursement was spent on heart-shaped chocolates and a hotel bed sprinkled with rose petals.

But let’s analyze this catastrophe using the 20 top money rules that should guide any rational human being.

One of the fundamental rules of money is “Don’t spend money you don’t have.” Yet, on Valentine’s Day, some people behave as if they have an offshore account in the Cayman Islands when, in reality, they can barely afford an extra packet of milk. Living below your means is another golden rule, but who cares about rules when Instagram validation is at stake?

Compound interest works both ways—it builds wealth for the smart and destroys the foolish. That Valentine’s loan you took? The interest is growing even while your relationship is crumbling. By March, you’ll have a debt collector calling while the same “love of your life” is being wined and dined by someone else.

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Wealth-building rule number four: “Avoid bad debt.” A loan taken to build a business or acquire a productive asset is an investment. A loan taken to impress someone on a commercialized love holiday is a liability wrapped in stupidity. Banks and digital lenders love this day because it’s open season for financial prey—people who mistake a loan application for a love letter.

If you need to borrow to be romantic, you don’t need a loan; you need therapy. A relationship that demands financial recklessness is a scam—a romantic Ponzi scheme where you are the only investor, and the returns are emotional manipulation. A genuine partner will not measure your love based on how deep you can dig into debt.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that financial insecurity is one of the leading causes of depression among young adults. Taking a loan for Valentine’s Day is the expressway to mental and financial breakdown—a reckless rollercoaster with no seatbelt. Before you type that loan request, remember: the only thing worse than heartbreak is heartbreak with compounded interest.

Rule number six: “Have an emergency fund.” Yet, some people’s entire savings plan is “God will provide,” even as they take loans for events they cannot afford. When you take a Valentine’s loan, you are telling the universe, “I do not deserve financial stability.” And the universe listens.

Financial literacy teaches delayed gratification—that true wealth is built over time, not with impulse decisions. The Valentine’s borrower is the financial equivalent of someone eating their seeds instead of planting them. You are burning tomorrow’s bread to light today’s candlelit dinner.

The rich think in decades; the poor think in days. A financially literate person knows that short-term pleasure should never compromise long-term stability. Taking a Valentine’s Day loan is the ultimate proof that you need financial mentorship.

Let’s talk about opportunity cost. That KES 50,000 loan could have been seed money for a small business, an investment in stocks, or an emergency buffer for future needs. Instead, it will be spent on a fleeting moment, leaving nothing but regret and an overdue repayment notice.

Wealthy people understand the power of multiple income streams—they don’t take loans for consumption. Meanwhile, some will borrow money today and start begging for financial assistance tomorrow, blaming the government, the economy, and witchcraft when their poor decisions catch up.

Another critical rule of money: “Avoid lifestyle inflation.” Some people are broke because they’re trying to live a life they can’t afford. If you can’t afford an expensive Valentine’s, stay at home. True love does not demand debt-financed outings at five-star restaurants.

Real financial discipline involves avoiding emotional spending. Valentine’s Day is the perfect trap—capitalism convinces you that love equals extravagant spending. If money could buy love, Jeff Bezos would be in a happy marriage.

Before taking that loan, ask yourself: will this expense improve my financial future? If the answer is no, drop your phone, take a deep breath, and sign up for financial literacy with @TheAbojani.

Wealth-building is about self-control and wise money decisions. If your partner cannot understand that your financial health comes first, they are not a life partner; they are an economic burden.

Let’s be honest: you are not a millionaire, and you do not own a Central Bank printing press. You do not have the luxury of reckless spending. “Financial freedom requires financial responsibility.” That includes knowing when to say no to unnecessary expenses.

A borrowed Valentine’s is an expensive lie. The moment your partner finds out you took a loan for their gift, the attraction will vanish faster than your M-Pesa balance. Nobody respects a financially reckless person.

In this regard, I can confidently say that financial literacy is your best investment. Taking a Valentine’s Day loan is a clear sign that you need serious mentorship. And where do you get it? @TheAbojani. If you don’t get help now, prepare for a lifetime of financial struggle, forever paying for the sins of one impulsive February.

Valentine’s Day comes and goes. Debt stays. Make the right choice.

Read Also: The Best Financial Decision: Why The Person You Marry Is The MOST Important FINANCIAL Decision Anyone Will Ever Make