Valentine's Day has again come and gone and the period that follows can be the most amorously successful time of the year for all the singles of the world . . . if they only take my advice.

Why is the post-Valentine's period such a good time to begin a relationship? Isn't the romance of Valentine's Day itself enough to warrant a pre-Valentine's romantic genesis? Taking all subjective, lovey-dovey minutiae out of the picture leaves us with many logical reasons leading to my very reasonable conclusion.

In these tough economic times, I would be remiss to not begin by discussing the financial factor. Although it may be in poor taste, this is of upmost importance. According to a February 2007 survey conducted by BIGresearch, the average man spends $156.22 on his Valentine's Day date, while the average woman spends $85.08 on hers. While most people in long-term committed relationships may enjoy splurging on their partners, triple-digit Valentine's Day bills are not necessarily worth it for those in new or developing relationships.

Even if one finds no problem with being a big-spender on her or his new love, however, the pressure of what to surprise a partner with can be overwhelming. The right Valentine's gift in a young relationship can be the impetus towards a fulfilling long-term relationship, but the wrong gift can doom a relationship before it begins. Who really needs that pressure these days?

Even the most seasoned Valentine's gift-giver, however, can sometimes fall victim to the idea that good Valentine's gifts come standard. To men or women who find themselves in this scenario, a bad gift can ruin a relationship, while a good one is merely expected. By never having provided a Valentine's gift in the first place though, one can increase the just because factor exponentially by providing a gift that may not even be half as good at some random point during the year.

As a general rule, it is inadvisable to begin a relationship in the three cold, dreary winter months of December, January and February. Those months are cold and dark for a reason: they are not conducive to new beginnings and include the most relationship-pitfalls of any other three-month period.

Any relationship started in December begins with a giant elephant in the room in the form of Christmas. Should one give a Christmas gift after one week of dating? Two weeks? Three weeks? If so, how big? How thought-out? How romantic?

Following Christmas comes New Year's Eve, where a young couple has to worry about how intoxicated and/or obnoxious they are appearing to be in front of their new love interest. We all know how difficult it is to have a good time on New Year's Eve when you have the thought of your image to worry about all evening.

If you do make it to February 14, the issues of finances and the pressure of finding the right gift make a winter romance too much of a hassle. Finally, there is a twenty-five percent chance that your new boyfriend or girlfriend has a birthday in the December to February timeframe. Again, more pressure.

Take my advice and wait until after Valentine's Day to make your move on that special someone who has been catching your eye.

Remember, looking for dates just after Valentine's is like shopping the day after Christmas. While the pre-Valentine's singles are still in the Valentine's spirit and feeling particularly amorous and vulnerable, there are also bound to be a high percentage of post-Valentine's breakups.

Because you played it cool and did not desperately find someone to date just before Valentine's, you will look even more attractive when you finally decide to make your move. Trust me.