The 10 Best Gift Ideas for a Valentine's Day on a Budget

As Valentine's Day approaches, panic across the country ensues. Our palms sweat, our minds go blank, and our pocketbooks remind us it was just Christmas. Every lover is left to answer a variety questions, such as: What's the right gift for my current relationship? How do I show my old flame, new love? How do I share my love without taking out a new loan? What are some Valentine's Day gift ideas, besides chocolate, jewelry, furry bears, flowers, the movies, or dinner reservations?

1. Shop Smarter, Spend Less: The quickest, most convenient method for buying her something you know she wants is online shopping. Compare prices and look on eBay first, you can probably find exactly what you are looking at a much lower price. Buy now and no worries later!

2. Creative Gift-Giving: Thoughtful, heartfelt gifts often are the most successful. Make your own gift scrapbook of memories with funny captions, or for the art-impaired, such as myself, visit sites like www.shutterfly.com. They affordably make the process painless, professional, and priceless.

3. Cook: Instead of dinner reservations at the same old restaurant, show your love another side of you, especially if he/she would never expect it. A simple restaurant-quality idea is blackened fish or chicken with fresh vegetables and your own fresh strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. To blacken your entrée, preheat ¼ to ½ stick of butter and a small amount of olive oil on medium-high heat in a blackening pan or regular frying pan until everything is close to smoking. Cover your meat in olive oil and cover one or both sides in your favorite spices (black pepper, red pepper, garlic, ginger, or paprika, experiment with what you like best before V-Day) or use a pre-made rub. Next, place the meat in the pan, cover it up, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes and enjoy with a plate of healthy green vegetables and your favorite red wine. Guys do the dishes too!

4. Memory Road Trip: If the two of you have shared a past full of memories in the town you live in, take a trip down memory lane and relive your first date or a make a night of your most memorable destinations. Share laughter and love, as you reminisce about your journey together.

5. Inexpensive Value Gifts: Some gifts are always thoughtful and appreciated. Framed pictures, cards sharing your personal feelings, passionate kisses, a good backrub, and sincere I love yous always do the trick.

6. Creative Gift-Giving #2: Make your own coupon book for the upcoming year. Be creative and make it personal. Anything goes! A variety of suggestions include: a carwash, a night out, dinner chores, backrub, bedroom escapades, a him or her day, breakfast in bed, anything! Use your imagination and show your lover your love in the future.

7. Picnic: If you live somewhere with great Valentine's Day weather, plan your own picnic and bask together in the sunshine. Feeding each other is optional.

8. Tickets for Future Vacation: Plan a future trip for two and buy the tickets now and worry about the rest later. Create instant excitement and save yourself a few bucks for planning and buying in advance.

9. Spa Getaway: Enjoy a stress-free Valentine's Day at a local spa. Everyone loves to be pampered once in awhile and doing it together will likely be an aphrodisiac to boot.

10. Surprise Scavenger Hunt: If your lover is working, start a scavenger hunt of loving notes and creative clues from their car in the parking lot to other memorable, local relationship destinations until they finally return to the bedroom. Enhance his/her trip with the perfect mix CD!