It is never too early to start thinking about Valentines Day. As a guy, I am very familiar with the pressure of trying to find the perfect gift for my sweetheart. However, I don’t often give a lot of thought to the challenge that my girlfriend must go through each year, without the classic fallbacks like flowers or stuffed animals to which we boyfriends all to often have to resort. In order to do our part to help, I have put together a list of affordable Valentine’s gifts for guys to fit all budgets. Warning: Some assembly may be required.
$50
A shoestring budget is not a problem when it comes to shopping for a guy on Valentine’s Day. The first thing to remember when gift shopping on a budget is the potential to DIY. A handmade gift that demonstrates your knowledge of his interests can score you more points than an expensive gift could.
One clever way to stretch your baby’s budget is by signing him up for a subscription service that matches his needs or interests. We reviewed a number of box subscription services a while ago that would make perfect gift ideas for him, my personal of favorite of which is The Dollar Shave Club. Not only is this gift clever and useful, but also it will provide you with a lot of gift while keeping your budget in tact.
Don’t think that a night out is out of the question if you are on a budget, either. There are plenty of evening activities within your price range that will make for a perfect cap to your day of romance. Going ice skating, for instance, is a fun seasonal outing that will typically run you under $30 for admission and skates.
If you are really strapped for cash, don’t underestimate the potential of staying in for Valentine’s Day. There isn’t a man on earth who’s not a sucker for a delicious, home-cooked meal. Make his favorite dish, followed by an evening watching his favorite movie. It’s nothing special, but the night is more about the company anyway.
$100
Although it is not the most outside the box idea, do not underestimate the potential power of dinner and a movie. In fact, handling the planning of the Valentine’s date could be part of your gift. Make reservations at a restaurant that is special to you and your man, and remember to make them as far in advance as you can. After dinner, forget the traditional movie theater. If you want to really impress your man, get the two of you tickets to a showing at the closest drive-in movie theater. Most drive-ins still in operation hold theirs showings as double features, although the ticket costs the same price as one at a standard theater. This date is classic while still being clever, plus it has the 3 things every man love: food, cars, and movies!
Another gift that most guys would enjoy, although few of them would think of it, is a professional massage. In addition to the Valentine’s Day specials, many massage parlors offer a special for first-time customers. An hour-long couples massage is the perfect gift to forget about everything except your special someone.
For a gift that will really leave your man speechless, consider finding him tickets to his favorite sports team. You would be shocked at some of the insane deals you can find on sports tickets online, as long as you know where to look. Use this promo to get 5% off any order of $100 or more from Ticket Liquidators. The price of tickets varies dramatically from team to team and sport to sport, to start shopping early to find the best option for your budget.
$200
A fancy dinner is always a good way to start off a Valentine’s date. However, especially if your man insists on treating you to dinner (that’s a keeper, by the way), you might have to find more clever ways to contribute. For instance, if you have the budget, consider getting you and your man limo service for the night. Let him pick out a restaurant and find an activity for afterwards, then let him know that for all his hard work you have taken care of transportation. Use this promotion to get 18% off your next reservation from Limos.com. Not only will neither of you have to worry about being the designated driver, but nothing else will make the evening special like getting the star treatment from everyone who sees you.
There is no rule that says that your Valentine’s Day date has to be spent outside the house. Instead, why not get your man a gift that takes advantage of your indoor setting. The AAXA Technologies P3X LED Pico Projector is only $219 from Office Depot, and features 2 built-in speakers, a 2-hour runtime, and 1080p HD image output from a number of media sources. Not only is this little bad boy all you need to make your man’s Valentine’s Day, but also you may have trouble getting him out of the house for the weeks that follow.
These are just a few suggestions for if you are stumped shopping for your man. Keep in mind that while you are trying to find him the perfect gift, he is undoubtedly devoting all of him time to doing the same for you. Speaking from experience, one of the best gifts a guy can get for Valentine’s Day is the knowledge that his girlfriend liked her gift.