Valentine's Day is a highly commercialized holiday. Many companies try to sell you expensive, useless gifts and you feel pressured to buy them. When in reality, a more personalized gift means so much more. Here are a few things you should avoid, or at least consider avoiding, when picking out gifts for your significant other.
1. Chocolate
Make sure your significant other likes chocolate before you buy one of the cute heart boxes. It seems like the standard holiday gift that is sure to work, but that may not be the case for everyone. Some people hate chocolate or at least the heart boxes of stuffed chocolates. It's not uncommon to not like the creams they stuff them with. If you want to go the chocolate route, you can get your partner a kind you know they like, or even get high-quality plain chocolate.
2. Jewelry
If she likes jewelry it can be a really great and thoughtful gift. But if you have never seen her wear any, it's not a great idea. Although it may be a beautiful piece, if she doesn't usually wear it, she probably won't start.
3. Lingerie
Ask yourself, is it really a gift for her or is it a gift for you? If you truly think she would want to receive this as a gift, then go for it. But if you are only getting it because you want to see her in it or are expecting sexual favors in return, maybe this isn't a good choice.
4. Bath bombs
Do they have a bathtub? This may seem obvious, but I have given bath bombs as gifts to people who don't even have bathtubs, which makes it a pretty bad gift.
5. Stuffed animals
Are they cute? Yes. Are they going to do anything except collect dust? No. The big stuffed bears are a little better because you can use them as pillows. Also, if you give a stuffed animal one year, that's okay, because they can be comforting to have. Just don't make it a habit unless your partner collects stuffed animals.
6. Perfume
People are often particular about what perfume or colognes they get because they have to smell it all day long, so this may be a hard one to choose. Also, many people don't wear perfume or are allergic to it.
7. "Open when" letters
Although this idea is meant to be thoughtful, you should support your loved ones in real life, not through some slightly edited generic idea you found on Pinterest.
8. Wall art
I don't know why you would even think this is a good idea, to be honest.
9. Instagram ads
Although some of the gifts you see advertised on there, whether it be directly or on fake stories, may seem nice, the quality probably isn't. More importantly, remember they are trying to sell it to you, so of course, it's going to seem like a great idea.
10. Generic list items
Most generic items you find on lists are not good gifts. They are not genuine or personal and it usually shows. A smaller, more thoughtful gift will always beat a generic, expensive gift.