Valentine gift ideas that don’t break the bank
I would love to take out a payday loan and get my wife something remarkable for Valentine’s Day but paying back the loan wouldn’t be so remarkable. So, I had to come up with ideas. As usual, the internet is the fountain of all knowledge and full of suggestions – some not so, er, shall we say, suitable. But I got some good ideas which I am happy to pass on.
Flowers?
The most common Valentine’s Day advertisement is “surprise your Valentine with flowers”. I suppose I could apply for that Payday Loan I talked about, to cover the cost of a really impressive bunch of flowers but on second thought, I’ll look for a reasonably priced bouquet at my local grocery store and deliver it myself.
Now that I think of it, my Valentine would be surprised to get flowers from me. She knows I am not a flower guy and being my wife, might start wondering why I’m suddenly giving her flowers. You’ve got the picture, right?
Something other than flowers?
Maybe I should look around for something a little more creative and surprising, something we can do together, something that will surprise her positively.
A chocolate fountain?
Chocolate Fountain First Birthday Party
How about a chocolate fountain? If your Valentine is a chocoholic like mine she will love you for your thoughtfulness – and you can join in the licking as well. I was surprised to find one on sale at my local department store for only $19.99. No payday loan needed here.
A trip?
How about a surprise trip? You blindfold her, drive her to the airport and hop on a plane to somewhere. Don’t tell her where you are going until you arrive. Just be careful about where the plane is going – not all the destinations in the travel brochures are romantic. There are still cannibals around.
A new car?
This is always an impressive gift and there are some great deals on cars now. I saw an ad – ‘buy one and get one free’. You’ll get a deal on a Regular Model for your Valentine plus the convertible GTO sports job for you-know-who!
A Payday Loan
OK. I’ve gotten a little carried away, haven’t I? We’re back to needing a payday loan for these unexpected, expensive, gifts. Here’s something unexpected– you fill out the Payday Loan application for your Valentine but you link it to her salary. Surprise!
A picnic?
Seriously, back to a gift that’s affordable. A picnic is always good. If it’s to be out in the fields or the forest remember to take a blanket and a spray bottle of insect repellent. I prefer the indoor type of picnic where we spread a blanket on the floor near the lit fireplace with candles on the mantle and a couple of bottles of bubbly within easy reach. Take a spray bottle of child or neighbor repellent, as necessary.
A weekend?
If you do have a little more money, spread your Valentine’s Day into a weekend. Plan a “getaway” to a bed and breakfast place, not a hotel room. Choose one near enough or far away enough (or far out enough) to do the trick. Add home cooked or gourmet meals and a bottle of great wine.
What will actually happen?
All of these are great ideas. If you can try one of them without causing any damage to your budget, that’s great. In my experience, the planning is most of the fun.
Then there’s real life–
There’s a knock at the front door. The stove technician. This is the third time he’s been out this week. I hate spending money on the stove when I have Valentine’s gifts to buy. But, we’ve already been eating fries for a month now, my cholesterol’s through the roof and my blood pressure’s over the top as well. Where’s that Payday Loan – it looks like I’ll need it after all.
I love the “get a payday loan..and link it to her salary!” thing. That will guarantee you won’t have anyone to spend any money on next Valentine’s Day – so there’s one yearly expense gone! A good V-Day gift that doesn’t cost much – a hand made card. Much cheaper than roses, and it has that “I made this for you…because you’re special!” feel to it.