20 Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Whether you have been married to the love of your life for decades, or have just started dating a new boyfriend or girlfriend, Valentine’s Day is one day most of us want to do something special for the one we love. While it’s easy to spend a lot of money on Valentine’s day for gifts, flowers, dinner, or other things, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to give your special someone a thoughtful gift or Valentine’s Day experience.

20 Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Give the gift of time- make a special effort to spend extra time with the person you love.

Make something- Organize your wife’s recipes into a folder or binder. Take a photo your wife or husband will love and matte it and put it in a frame for them to hang on the wall.

Take over your spouse’s chores for a day-or longer- Give your spouse a “day off” from the cooking, cleaning, or other regular chores. Or better yet, do them for a week. I would love it if my wife took out the trash for a week!

Give them free time- If you have children, offer to watch the kids for a whole day, letting them do whatever they want.

Go out to dinner early early- look for early bird specials, many restaurants offer them regularly, and even more do on Valentine’s day.

Go on out to dinner on another day- Although you may find some good dining deals on V-day, you could end up spending more on Valentine’s Day due to the huge crowds at some places, as it may limit your choices to somewhere more expensive. Consider going on another day.

Go out for a Valentine’s Day lunch- Lunch is almost always cheaper, so you can probably afford to go somewhere even nicer than you would have taken him or her for dinner for the same amount of money.

Go for a walk- Take your husband or wife for a romantic walk somewhere, and bring a bottle of wine.

Plan a picnic- Instead of going out to eat, pack a picnic lunch with some goodies and head out in the afternoon, skipping the dinner out all together.

Go out for drinks and appetizers- to cut back on the full course dinner expense.

Eat in- Another way to skip going out to dinner is to cook a gourmet meal at home.

Give coupons- Not grocery store coupons, of course! Give coupons for a massage, back rub, or other romantic ideas .

Breakfast in bed- Make your valentine a full course breakfast at home and serve it to them in bed.

Make your own card- Spend some time making a nice card, with a personal note written in it.

Pick your own flowers- Don’t take them from somewhere you shouldn’t, but if you have some in your yards, or a friendly neighbor’s yard, pick your own flowers.

Bake something- Bake your partner their favorite dessert or treat.

Write a poem- Write the love of your life a poem, describing how much the mean to you and why you love them.

Make a video, CD, or DVD compilation- My wife is always reminding me to download photos off the camera. Take those photos and put them on a CD or DVD, or take home videos and make a compilation. Or load their MP3 player with some of their favorite songs they don’t have on it yet.

Put together a gift basket- Put together a basket with your wife’s favorite soaps and lotions, or one full of golf accessories for your husband- or other items related to their interests or hobbies.

Take a day trip- Gas is fairly cheap, and if you have a romantic destination within driving distance of your house, such as a beach, the mountains, etc., you can make a day of it.

photo credit: diogo86