5 Easy, Cheap, and Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gifts

Happy Valentine’s Week everyone! I know, I know, this is your favorite holiday right?! You have had this day planned since last Valentine’s Day!

No? Really?

I’m just kidding. I always feel like this day sneaks up on me and I’m left grasping at straws for the perfect gift to show my “Valentine” just how much I love them.

All joking aside, I’ve put together a list for those of us who struggle with this day. Whether you’re buying for your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, parent, child, or even yourself (#selfcare!), there is something on this list for you. In addition, I chose items that were easy enough for the last minute shopper, but also meaningful.

Flowers

To the average person, flowers can be seen as a cop out or a “no brainer”. My grandfather often shied away from flowers, saying “you can’t eat them”. While this is true, flowers can mean the world to someone. I’m going to use myself as an example. My husband NEVER buys me flowers. I mean now he will if he reads this because I’m complaining about never getting flowers. But honestly, for the person who never gets flowers, receiving flowers is amazing. It’s relatively inexpensive (depending on where you get them) and to the right person, it can me the world.

Sweets

This is another option that can be seen as cliche but again, to the right person it could be epic. So hear me out, obviously you need to know your audience. For example, my husband likes chocolate, but prefers fruity candy. While I’d be okay getting him a standard box of chocolates, I can take it up a notch by buying him Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids. The way to do this is to get the boxes from the Dollar Tree and then put them in a fun gift box or bag. Cheap and sweet. Also keep in mind that there are sugar free options for your diabetic Valentines.

There are several other options besides candy as well. A lot of places will sell chocolate covered strawberries. I have actually made these for Josh in the past for Valentine’s Day. The best advice I have is to stop in the local bakery. Cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes… I mean I’d be happy with any of those as well. Just remember to get something you absolutely know your Valentine is going to like.

A Love Note

My next, and a favorite, Valentine’s gift is a love note. So this one could be a stretch for a lot of people. The two best things about this one is that it’s FREE and you can say what you want to say. I often waste a lot of time in the card aisle trying to find the perfect card. The problem is, none of them say the right thing. Sometimes they say things that I don’t feel apply and other times they just don’t say enough. I have abandoned the card aisle and resorted to writing love notes and have never been happier.

*Quality* Time

For me, this is probably one of the absolute best gifts to give. I always find myself so caught up in everything else going on that it’s easy to forget to spend time with your Valentine. Set aside some amount of time to just spend with you Valentine uninterrupted (this means turn off the cellphones.) Dedicating an hour or two to just spend together can make a world of difference, especially if you’re normally super busy.

While I relate this to a spouse most often, I also think about time with my daughter. To me it does seem like I spend a boat load of time with her, but is that time meaningful. Am I actually focusing on her or am I scrolling through Facebook while she watches one of her shows sitting next to me. Be present, be intentional. Time is the most valuable thing we can give a person.

Coupon Book

Finally, give the gift of a coupon book to your Valentine this year. This has always been a “go-to” in our house when you just can’t think of anything else. These can be made by hand or you can print them out. If you’d like to get your own printable coupon book, subscribe to our email list. You can fill out the coupons to offer things that you know your significant other will like. For example, foot massage, an hour of me time, a night off from cooking dinner, breakfast in bed, a week off from laundry, or you can even go a little naughty. The possibilities are endless.

In conclusion…

In conclusion, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be so dreaded. Take the pressure off of yourself and K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). You don’t need to make a grand gesture every year. Just put a little time and thought into your Valentine and they will love it as well!

Tell us in the comments, what is the best gift you’ve ever received from your Valentine?