Valentine’s Day should be about the sentiment of love, not how much money you spend (just like engagement rings? Discuss.). Here are 7 thoughtful cheap or free Valentine’s gifts that will make your honey feel loved, without breaking the budget.
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Free Valentine’s Gifts to Save Your Budget
As February rolls around, many people rush off to florists, candy stores and other shops to spend huge amounts of money.
Seriously, the markup on a dozen red roses just for this one day is massive.
While it’s nice to spend money on the special person in your life, it’s not always financially doable. This is especially true in rough economic times and as March comes around, the credit card bills may exceed a budget.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day doesn’t necessarily have to mean spending lots of money. There are many thoughtful and sentimental gifts that are affordable or even free.
You can check out Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas: Fun Valentine’s Tips for Frugal Couples for lots of ideas.
With a little creative thinking, there are many store-ready and homemade gifts you can give to your best girl or guy on Valentine’s Day.
Here are a few ideas of affordable or free Valentine’s gifts they’ll love:
Also check out this article: Cheap Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him That Will Remind Him You’re the Woman of His Dreams.
Frugal Valentine’s Gifts Alternative to a Bouquet of Roses
Buy a single red rose.
What says love more than a single red rose? It’s affordable and represents how you feel. You can wrap it up carefully and add a little baby’s breath with some pretty ribbon.
This will cost a fraction of what a dozen red roses cost on Valentine’s Day, and is just as sweet and romantic.
Also check out 10 cheap gift ideas for men who want nothing (he will love these!)
Free Valentine’s Gifts for the Romantic: Write a Letter
Taking the time and effort to write a love letter to your mate is a special way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
While earrings, cuff links (I like these initial ones) or another gift may be nice, many people would much prefer to receive a heartfelt letter full of sentiments and loving words.
This won’t cost you a cent, but will be a Valentine’s gift that will be remembered.
Quiet Dinner for Two
Sounds expensive right? Not necessarily. If you look carefully through advertisements you receive in the mail or take a gander on the web, chances are you’ll find some ‘two for one’ dinner specials.
As a promotional effort, many restaurants will offer special Valentine’s Day specials to get customers in the door.
Once upon a time, Valentine’s Day meant a hike in restaurant prices. This is no longer necessarily the case, as restaurants are trying to keep afloat as well and want to bring in customers.
If you have kids or your budget really doesn’t allow a dinner out this year, going out may not be an option.
In that case, a great way to celebrate romance is to either cook a special dinner for your love or plan to cook one together after the kids have gone to bed. The menu can either be a surprise or a carefully selected one by the two of you.
Think pretty tablecloths (this one is really pretty and subtle – which isn’t easy to find in Valentine’s Day décor!! lol), candles (scented is nice), a nice outfit, soft music and dimmed lights; even if you can’t go out, you can bring the romantic atmosphere home.
Free Valentine’s Day Gifts: Create a Special Sentiment
These are often the best kinds of Valentine’s gifts and the most appreciated because they are sentimental and the words come straight from the heart.
Giving that special someone a love poem or handmade personalized card is thoughtful. These can either be handcrafted or through using the computer. Either way, they can be specially designed with your loved one in mind.
Other thoughtful homemade gifts could be photo frames (this is a fun one for competitive couples lol!!) with a special photo of the two of you. You could embellish the frame with custom designs or small trinkets.
Recording a special CD or making a Spotify playlist with sentimental or romantic songs is another thoughtful idea.
You might want to also check out this post. It has lots of fun and frugal ideas: Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas for Him: When You Want to Spoil Your Man (But you’re on a Budget).
Flowers and Chocolates
If you like the tradition of flowers and chocolate, you can buy these at an affordable price. Nowadays grocery stores sell beautiful floral arrangements that will cost far less than buying at the florist.
Many department or drug stores sell decent quality chocolates. While it may not be Godiva, you can still get your sweetie some fine tasting chocolate that falls within your budget.
I actually buy chocolate pretty often on Amazon. They carry great brands and are often the best prices I can find (including this affordable Godiva box of chocolates!).
I also buy this brand regularly for cheap gifts for loved ones that they will love!
For an easy no-bake Valentine’s treat that he’ll love, make these Valentine’s Day pretzels!
You Can Choose to Give Frugal or Free Valentine’s Gifts This Year
Every Valentine’s Day, commercialism rears its head. Advertisements are ladled with the attitude people have to spend a lot of money to prove their love.
This is far from the case.
There are many very affordable and thoughtful ways to express your love to your mate or that special someone. It doesn’t mean breaking the bank or overspending your budget.
The special memories made and thoughtful heartfelt gifts given are always remembered and treasured. These memories extend far beyond the credit card receipts of expensive gifts.
If you want to pick up a little Valentine’s Day breakfast treat for the kiddos, here is a fun idea (they tend to sell out FAST though!)
Pin this post on free Valentine’s gifts to save for later:
