Cheap and Easy: Inexpensive Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine's Day can be a fun and wonderful holiday for couples, but sometimes lack of money can prevent us from giving our loved ones the Valentine's Day gifts we feel they deserve. There are actually several ideas to treating your spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend to something special this February fourteenth.

Utilizing sales, dollar stores, and in many cases just a bit of creativity and time, you can create a wonderful heartfelt gift for your loved one. Homemade gifts or gifts involving genuine thought are often remembered best. Attention to the details of someone's personality reflected in a gift is more often than not enjoyed and loved far more than generic gifts stereotypically thought to be enjoyed by either sex, homemade or store bought. Here are some ideas for good homemade and/or inexpensive gifts.

Homemade gift baskets- Gift baskets containing body washes, lotions, and bath salts can easily be pulled together using on sale items in spa and bath stores. For someone who likes to read use bargain bins at book stores to gather a collection of books and magazines. Media stores also have bargain DVD's for the movie lover in your life, include some favorite older films and some candy, popcorn, or favorite treat. The supplies for the baskets themselves can be bought at any dollar store or craft store.

A "day off"- Make a certificate for your spouse giving them the day off from whatever household chore they dislike most. It could be all the errands for a day or week, laundry, cooking. A break from these tasks is often much appreciated.

A homemade favorite meal or dessert- Everyone loves food. Add a little candlelight; send the kids out with a babysitter and soft music to inspire romance.

Alternatively make it a family night including the children, baking, playing board games, making crafts, reading or making up stories to tell. Kids need to know more than anyone that they are loved and special to and that the adults in their lives love them. Spending time together as a family is important year round, but this holiday can make kids feel left out and unwanted. Besides, what is more beautiful than spending time with the people you love most on earth, your kids?

Be sure to give your love and/or family your full attention that night. Let the voicemail take a message, get e-mail later. It can usually wait and if someone is so rude and selfish to constantly interrupt with no emergency involved, they don't deserve your attention.

A love poem or song- This gift is truly one of my favorites to give or receive. Something from the heart always wins out with me and most people. If the relationship has been long standing and genuine and the piece includes private things for the couple only these can be a wonderful gift. If you write one of these be sure to speak from your heart, that's the best.

No matter what you do this Valentine's Day spend it with someone you love or at least care about. It doesn't have to be time of a romantic nature as long as you spend time with someone you care about or are doing something loving for people you love or something good for the world.