Sweet, Simple, Chic and Cheap Valentine's Gifts

Valentine's Day doesn't have to break your bank to keep from breaking her heart. Here are a few cheap ideas that keep the romance alive.

Make your date a screensaver for her office computer. If you've been together a white, use photos of you two together. Include some funny photos reminding her of great memories together. If you haven't been dating that long, this can still be a sweet and stress free Valentine's Day gift. Find photographs or graphic art that you think will inspire her or that you think she would like. Use image editing to size the photos so they appear best on the screen. You could also use an image editing software to make a simple black slide with colored text of a quote or Bible verse. Place all the photos in a folder on a zip drive (less than $20 at most gadget stores). Your date can place the folder on her desktop and change her settings to pull the screen saver photos from there. Or she can use them as desktop backgrounds which change every few hours to keep her inspired at work. With this Valentine's Day gift you stay on her mind without breaking your budget.

With Flowers, Think Single She's expecting roses. So surprise her without letting her down. A single stem of a unique flower will mean as much or more than a massive expensive bouquet. Pick a flower and a color that reminds you of her, even if you can't quite explain why. Or ask your local florist to fill you in on the meanings behind certain flowers and pick one that says what you want. That way you get extra points for saying: "Notice the variegated color of this tulip? When the florist told me it meant "beautiful eyes" I knew I had to get it for you." Tulips, Gerber daisies, orchids, gladiolus, peony, lilies, and roses are all excellent choices for a single stemmed blossom for Valentine's Day.

Give her a personalized hermit crab. A basic hermit crab set-up usually lets you scrape by for under $20. Use nail polish to paint a design on the hermit crab's shell, or choose one with a pre-painted design at most pet shops and novelty stores. This sweet gift makes a great option to the cheesy Valentine's Day classics. Hermit crabs are the epitome of low-maintenance pets and are usually exempt from the pet deposits for apartments. Your girl can probably take her crabby love token to work so she can think of you whenever she sees your artistic attempts.

Invent a cocktail just for her. Use your date's favorite alcohol as the base for a cocktail dedicated to her sense of adventure, flirty femininity, or love of pink. Celebrate Valentine's Day with a round of her signature cocktail and you're guaranteed to win a place in her holiday hall of fame. You don't have to be a bartender magician to pull this one off, just use a basic cocktail you know she likes and add a few details to jazz it up. Freeze maraschino cherries in ice cubes or make pink ice shavings by pounding frozen pink lemonade. Add a brightly colored straw and some fresh fruit. Or spear complementing flavors of Jelly Belly jellybeans on a novelty stirrer for a sweet addition.