According to Bankrate, a gift basket containing the typical V-Day presents comes with an astonishing $600 price tag. Your heart may be full to bursting with the love you have for your significant other but that doesn’t mean your wallet is, too. If you’re a habitual penny pincher, then Valentine’s Day is a challenging holiday to navigate. If you need a little help finding a gift that will impress your SO and satisfy your budget, look no further. Here’s a super simple guide to some affordable yet thoughtful gifts that will spoil your valentine. And don’t worry — it doesn’t involve cheap chocolates or a plush toy from the local drug store!
An essential oil diffuser
TV and movies tell us there’s nothing more romantic than an evening in surrounded by hundreds of candles. The flickering flames cast a soft, warm light across the room, and the fragrant wax envelopes the space in your favorite scented. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Ignoring the question of who’s lighting all those candles, let’s think about the fire hazard this number of candles pose. Nothing kills the mood faster than an emergency. Then there’s all the melted wax dripping over the bookshelves and hardwood.
Luckily, the romantic ambience you need for the 14th is still within your capabilities. The Aukey Natural Oil Diffuser is the chic love child of a candle, alarm clock, air purifier, and humidifier for a fraction of the cost. Its sleek wooden teardrop design is a stylish addition to any room, and it pumps out the delicious scent of your chosen essential oil. All you have to do is plug it in and keep it topped up with water—no flames necessary.
iPhone skins
Did you and your honey upgrade to the X at the same time? It may be the Apple’s newest handset but neither of yours looks it anymore thanks to its glass backing. The material—chosen for its wireless charging capabilities—isn’t suited for real-life usage. It highlights the evidence of every text, swipe, call, and (totally accidental) drop. As a result, it can look as though it were years old, rather than just a few months.
An iPhone X skin covers up these cosmetic damages and reinvents the phone. When you shop from the catalogue of skins designed by dbrand, the material is scratch-, water-, and grime-proof, so your SO doesn’t have to worry about smudge or scrapes again. You can also customize their wrap to look like dragon skin, stone, wood, or carbon fiber. Choose whichever color or texture would wow your valentine, but don’t forget about a gift for yourself. At just $15, you can make your iPhone X stand out from the crowd with your own design without breaking the bank.
A cute mug and coffee
You love your SO with all your heart, but even you steer clear of them in the morning until they’ve had their morning Joe. When your honey is the opposite of a morning person, a caffeinated gift basket would cheer them on the morning of the 15th.
A Yoda One For Me mug would be a great idea for anyone who’s a huge Star Wars fan. If you’ve lost count of how many times they’ve seen The Last Jedi, pair the adorable green guy with your SO’s favorite beans and K-cups. Otherwise, search through a list of other mugs and find the fandom that fits their interests. And if you still haven’t found something that you like, try printing your own pic onto the front of a mug. A mug and some coffee to go in it shouldn’t cost you more than $40.
A streaming package
If your plans for Valentine’s Day involve Netflix and chill, then you better up your streaming game. Netflix is hardly the only service available. There’s HBO Now, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and so many more. Plus, almost every cable company offers an online version of their channel. Do some research to find out each service’s catalogue to figure out which one would fit their binge-watching preferences.
Pair it with a Roku StreamingStick to really solidify their title as binge-watch royalty. It’s a USB stick that fits into any TV’s HDMI port and casts any subscription they have onto the big screen. It’s also compatible with iOS, so they can pair it with their handset and turn the X into a glorified remote control.
An adult coloring book
Is your SO dealing with something stressful in their live? Maybe they’re just starting a new job or navigating conflict in an old one. Whatever it is, you can help them tackle their anxiety with an adult coloring book. This trendy hobby wins big with art therapists who believe the act of coloring these intricate designs acts as a method of meditation. They say that by focusing on the color scheme and keeping within the lines, the artist directs attention away from their negative thoughts in a relaxing way.
You can make your own coloring book by browsing free images on Google, or you can choose one from a list of the top adult coloring books like this one. Alternatively, you could stick with the V-Day theme and wrap up a love-inspired coloring book for the bae.
The bottom line: you don’t have to spend hundreds to show you care
While some people will spend their money on diamond-encrusted jewellery, fancy champagne from France, or elaborate 8-course meals, these grand gestures aren’t what the holiday’s about. It’s all about spending time with the person you love most and showing them how much you care. Though the gift ideas above won’t cost you more than $50, each of them solves a problem your SO might struggle with. Whether it’s stress, a smudgy iPhone, or the need for caffeine, their issues can be solved with a simple yet thoughtful present. Spoil them without spoiling your budget.
