Would You Pay $131.70 to Guarantee a Valentine's Day Date?

Valentine's Day can be challenging for people with sweethearts. Trying to figure out the perfect gift can really be stressful.

For singles, the day can be even more difficult, but a dating website with a twist aims to boil it all down to something just about everyone can understand—a straight monetary exchange.

Apparently, it's a pretty attractive proposition in the DC area.

WhatsYourPrice.com recently released the results of a study of singles that found that 369,282 men nationally made offers for first dates in the month leading up to Valentine's Day, with nearly 2,700 of them in the DC region.

WhatsYourPrice.com starts out like most other dating sites—a participant uploads a photo and a personal profile. Where it differs is in the "bidding process," where singles can either "bid" on others whom they are interested in dating, or name a price they'd like to get paid for the first date. There is virtual haggling between parties, allowing for a mutually agreed-upon price for the date.

The average price to book a Valentine's Day date? A whopping $131.70—62 percent higher than the site's annual average of $80 per date.

Once an offer is accepted, the two parties message back and forth on the site to set up the initial date.

In this economy, is it a bit surprising that singles have $130 in disposable income to spend before the actual date even occurs?

According to an article from Kiplinger, the average price for a dozen roses is $80. Add in the cost of the average meal for two at a mid-range restaurant at $68.50, plus a few gallons of gas for $7, and Valentine's Day can be an almost $300 investment.

Women are allowed to bid on men as well, but the site is overwhelmingly dominated by men at an 8-to-1 ratio, according to Leroy Velasquez, public relations manager for the website.

What do you think about paying for a Valentine's Day date on WhatsYourPrice.com? Tell us in the comments.