Anna Maria Richards
Love is priceless.
However, expressing that love sometimes isn’t. Sometimes it involves you picking up flowers, arranging a fancy date, or grabbing their favorite dinner on the way home from work. All of these small acts can add up in your bank statement.
Valentine’s Day is approaching soon, and you may have already started checking your checking account in a panic. Luckily for you, there are so many inexpensive gifts you can give your loved one for the big day.
Keep reading to discover the perfect inexpensive valentine gift. You’d be surprised of all the things you haven’t thought of.
1. A Picnic
One of the most stressful parts of Valentine’s is grabbing a reservation at your town’s best restaurant. Not only is it a dent in your wallet, but it’s also stressful rushing from work to make it on time.
Set up the most memorable yet cheap valentines by arranging a picnic in a local park or beach area. It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture. It should just be special and intimate.
Grab a blanket, a basket, delicious snacks, and your favorite wine. You can add small lights or flowers to make it cuter. Once it’s all set up, you’ll have a picture-perfect date for a small price.
2. Movie Night Extravaganza
A simple, quick way to a person’s heart is giving them food and something that makes them feel comfortable and appreciated. Shoot straight to your loved one’s heart with a home movie night.
As your partner returns home from work, gift them with new pajamas. Tell them to quickly change so you can enjoy the takeout you grabbed on your way home.
Once you settle in with the food, break out the movie you purchased for them. Tell them you’ve heard them mention it in passing a few times. It shows you listen and care.
3. Homemade Sweets
Purchasing specialty made chocolate-dipped strawberries and bakery cakes can be pretty pricey. A great inexpensive valentine gift is a basket of homemade sweets.
Homemade gifts show you put in effort and time to create something the other person will love. Whether its brownies, cookies, or their favorite breakfast muffin, whip out the apron and get to work!
Special pairings can also help with the delivery of the gift. Pair muffins with their favorite coffee and flowers or even send beer as a gift with their dessert.
4. The Perfect Sip
Nothing beats an evening spent sipping your favorite cocktail with your partner, chatting over the day by candlelight. Unfortunately, purchasing cocktails can get expensive quickly.
Quench the thirst for a homemade cocktail by purchasing the ingredients yourself. While the initial cost may be high, you’ll get more bang for your buck.
There are plenty of simple, yet fancy cocktails to try in your own kitchen. It may take a lot of patience and several failed attempts, but you can do it.
5. Something From the Kids
We aren’t suggesting you use your kids, but encouraging your kids to make something for your partner is a touching inexpensive valentine gift.
It can be as something as simple as gathering construction paper and markers to make cards or stamping their handprints on a canvas. It’s a special process in itself to watch your kids create projects for their parents.
6. Handmade Coupons
Sit down and write a list of all the little acts of kindness your significant other enjoys. Some people love having their coffee made in the morning, and other people love a back massage.
Once you create the list, turn the ideas into a small coupon booklet to give your partner. Tell them they can use the coupons as they please, and you’ll complete the task on the coupon.
You can wash their car, pick up their favorite food, cook breakfast one morning, or agree to spend the whole day with them with no phones. Small acts of kindness make a big difference.
7. A Photo Album
So many times these days, we take pictures on our phone and then do nothing with them. Take the time to go through the photos with your significant other. Copy them into a USB drive and print them out at a local store.
Once you’ve gathered all of your favorite photos, purchase a blank photo album or scrapbook. Place the pictures in the book and use craft materials to create borders and captions.
Add little notes in your book like, “I love you in this shirt!” or “This was the happiest day of my life.” It’s a keepsake they’ll cherish forever.
8. Something Small They Mentioned in Passing
There’s been so many quick moments you’ve heard your significant other mutter something like, “Oh, that’s my favorite candy,” or, “Wow, I really like that plant. It would look awesome in the living room.”
Surprise them with the things they wanted. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should always be thoughtful. Even if they haven’t said anything and you noticed they were out of their favorite shampoo, pick it up for them.
9. A Weekend Getaway
If you book at the right time, you can prepare an affordable staycation in your own town. All you need is a little planning time.
Use apps like VRBO and Airbnb to search for some local cheap places to stay for the night. Perhaps you find someone’s downtown loft or an elderly couple’s beach lodge. A lot of the places on the app are cheaper than hotels!
Once you book a place, tell your partner to pack a bag but keep the destination a surprise. It’s a fun way to get away from home while not blowing tons of money.
An Inexpensive Valentine Gift to Surprise Your Loved One
Valentine’s Day can present a lot of stress when selecting gifts. Make sure you read the list above for the perfect inexpensive valentine gift idea to really surprise your loved one.
You don’t have to empty your wallet to create a memory. Just put in a lot of love, effort, and care to create a special moment.
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