With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, a lot of people are stressing about what to get their “better half.” I know that, for me—as a college student—my budget is very small. I am always paying for things in change, or opting for the cheaper option. So, if you’re like me, this list was made specifically for you. Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, because I love buying gifts, especially when they’re focused on one of my favorite things: love. Here are seven ideas (because seven is half of 14, and Valentine’s Day is for two people…) for affordable gifts on the day of love.
1. BASKETS: Any kind of gift basket is an easy and affordable gift idea. You could make a movie-themed basket with a couple of movies from the $5.00 bin at the store, add a few boxes of their favorite candy, and a couple of bags of popcorn. The basket can also be turned into a date night, so it’s a two-in-one gift. Another basket option would be just a snack basket. Create a basket that is full of your loved ones’ favorite snacks like; candy, chips, and in my case, beef jerky because my boyfriend is obsessed. You could also add a little spark to it and make a “punny” card to go along with everything that is in the snack basket.
2. PHOTO FRAME COLLAGE: Collect all of your favorite pictures of the two of you, form them into a collage and put it in a picture frame. Many retail stores sell frames for decent prices and pictures are very inexpensive to print out. Not only is this an easy and affordable gift, it is also nice to be able to look at all of your favorite moments in one frame. To take this gift to the next level, you could personalize the photo frame with stickers, paint, or even just sweet words.
3. SWEET WORDS: I am a very sentimental person, so kind words really get to me. For this idea, you could make your own, personalized, Valentine’s Day card with construction paper and a sweet note inside to make your loved one really feel loved. If you really enjoy writing, you could also write a poem. That’s just a nice, thoughtful gift on its own.
4. BAKED GOODS: Who doesn’t love homemade, baked goods? So why not incorporate them into a present. You could whip up some of your partner's favorite sweets, and then it’s a delicious gift. Plus, it took a lot of effort so it also shows how much you care. To take this sweet (see what I did there?) gift to the next level, you could wrap it up nicely by purchasing a festive gift box, with a nice card to go along with it.
5. DECK-A-ROOM: This is one that I think would be super fun, but it will also take a lot of time and effort. You could simply just buy some balloons and streamers and place them all over the room. You could write nice notes on each of the balloons for a sentimental touch, and even buy some battery powered tea light candles to put around the room just to add a little something extra. I think that this would be something that would be really appreciated and very memorable.
6. SCAVENGER HUNT: You could send your other half on a fun adventure by creating a scavenger hunt. Make riddles, put them in envelopes and place them all over the house, room, or in my case, dormitory. Each riddle could be a hint leading to where the next envelope will be. Each envelope can contain gifts like a pair socks, or a key chain, or it could all lead to a box of chocolate, a sentimental note, or a setup for a Netflix date with a box of pizza.
7. VIDEO: Take a photo collage to the next level, and make a video of pictures. Set it to a song that means something in your relationship and put it on a DVD for a keepsake. This could also be a collaboration of pictures and videos. It’s really something that would be fun to play with, easy to personalize and would be quite the tear-jerker. Give this to your significant other with a note that says what it means to you and how you feel about them.
These are just a few ideas that I came up with that would all be really easy to do. You could pair one with another and it would still be inexpensive. To me, these are all very affectionate ways to show your love. Who doesn’t love that? So for all of you who are balling on a budget like me, this gift guide is for you. Don’t be afraid to put your own spin on things and have a good time with it. Just remember, Valentine’s Day is about love, not gifts, so don’t get too caught up in stressing about what to get for your partner.
