Scunthorpe teen Tracey Gray (16) says she's adopting a stoical attitude to Valentine's Day as the only way to cope with the deluge of endearments and gifts she routinely expects on that day.
'People think you're showing off if you go on about it,' said Tracey, who has thrice entered beauty contests without success, 'so I can't be bothered. It's a pain having a lot of attention from boys, but I just accept it, like.'
Last year her Valentine's Day was ruined by the Royal Mail failing to deliver her cards and M&S failing to deliver the flowers, chocolates, red roses and champagne she stayed in all day waiting for.
The year before it was Parcelforce who badly let her down.
Tracey, who thinks herself 'sort of pretty going-on beautiful', (she doesn't any longer have a mirror in her bedroom), is this year sending a few cards to herself, 'just to check out the postman knows what he's doing this time round'.
She's also bought some chocolates and roses to send to 'a mate or whatever', but thinks she might not bother and instead give them to herself as a Valentine's Day surprise.
'Come Valentine's Day, our Tracey will put a brave face on it,' said Tracey's mum.
