If you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank, here’s some low cost ideas to show that special someone you care.

Homemade Goodies
Put together favorite foods you make yourself – and it doesn’t have to be just baked goods (though those are always good…).  One year, I got a stack of homemade dinners I could refrigerate or freeze – my own personalized TV dinners!

Make a Special Video
Use a site like animoto.com to create and send a great looking video from favorite photos.  You can add text and background music, too.

Samples!
Visit the cosmetic counters at the malls and scour for free beauty or fragrance samples.  I’ve noticed you can get men’s samples easier than women’s samples without having to buy anything so you can give your man a nice selection of colognes or aftershaves to try. Or look for offers where you buy something (usually $25 or less…) and get a free gift.

Gift Cards from Your Credit Card Points
If you’ve got a credit card that has points, you can use them to purchase gift cards.  If giving a card seems too impersonal, get one for a favorite restaurant and plan a dinner date.

Gift Cards Part 2
One thing about gift cards is that they can be misplaced or you forget to carry them with you.  Solve that by texting a gift card from sites like giiv.com.  While not offered at a discount, this is a fun and convenient way (for you and them) to give gift cards.

Travel Size Products
These aren’t always the best buy compared to larger sizes of products, but these are great to add to a gift bag for someone who travels a lot or as a collection of new things to try.

Photo by Nils Geylen