My husband and I don’t typically exchange gifts for holidays, anniversaries or birthdays. We’ve chosen to put that money into our vacation fund instead. But on the occasions that we do exchange gifts, we’ve set a $2, $3 or $5 limit for it. Most of these gifts have meant tremendously more to me than the gifts I was given that cost substantially more.
These are some of the creative Valentine’s gifts (and birthday/anniversary) my husband has made me over the years for various occasions.
A – small handmade card with a stargazer lily- my favorite flower
B – Birthday card made to look like a Sudoku puzzle – I was an addict at the time LOL
C Vases of printed flowers
D A bouquet of printed individual flowers
E 3 printed roses (this came with a chocolate bar attached)
F This was attached to my mirror on our anniversary. The writing says start here. There are about a dozen sweet nothings written on the petals for my eyes only 
I have an entire file folder stuffed with things like this. Most were accompanied by candy or other sweets. The thoughtfulness, time and effort that were put into each of them make them so much more special than many of the store bought gifts I’ve recieved. Plus, I can keep them for years and years!
I’m not nearly as creative and romantic as my hubby, but one year we had a $5 limit and I was able to find a single steak that had been marked down at Walmart! (We rarely eat steak because of the expense) He was stumped when I handed him a present that was cold. Another year I sat down and filled a page up with all the reasons why I loved him. There have been various heart shaped creations from his favorite candies, or silly puns written on packages of his favorite candies (he’s a punny sort of guy).
While we’re talking about gifts- does it really matter what day you exchange them? Would it be devastating to your relationship to celebrate Valentine’s on the 15th or 16th? We decorate and the kids do holiday themed things at school for weeks beforehand, so what’s the big who-ha about a specific day? If you’re going out to eat, many specials aren’t valid on special occasions like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s. You’re more likely to find a friend willing to babysit then, as well as being able to shop the Valentine’s section of the store at 50% off!
I find that I’m much more thoughtful when I have a very limited budget to work with instead of just going to the store and throwing whatever I think my husband would like into the basket. I really have to think about the things he enjoys and appreciates. I have to put more of myself into the gift giving process, which endears my husband to me even more. Give a $5 budget a try- you might be surprised!
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