As the clock ticks down to Valentine’s Day, the pressure is on to find the ideal gift. While some sweethearts may provided some clues to help with Valentine’s Day shopping, many gift-givers are on their own.

The National Retail Federation predicts that, in 2019, shoppers may match Valentine’s Day spending from a year ago, when lovebirds spent a total $18.2 billion on gifts for their sweethearts. With so much money invested, shoppers no doubt want to find the best gifts possible. When shopping for Valentine’s Day, try to avoid these common mistakes and choose gifts that are creative and heartfelt.

• Skip the gas station flowers, candy or last-minute gifts. Valentine’s Day is a time to show you care. If you’ve left gifting to the last minute, you may make the situation worse by giving something impersonal you picked up on an errand. If you forgot or ran out of time, simply admit you goofed or time got

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