Yahoo Finance Thoughtful Valentine's Day Gifts for Under $10
Valentine's Day is a little over a week away. If you want to make a big impression but you don't have a big budget, there are plenty of ways to do so. Creativity and thought can go a long way toward making someone's day special. In case you're lacking the creativity, here are ideas for $10 or less:
Jar of date ideas
The Date Night Jar is a thoughtful yet frugal gift for your significant other on Valentine's Day. Blogger DIY Budget Girl offers a helpful how-to guide, as well as a list of date ideas. Once you pick out and decorate a jar, list as many ideas as you can find. You can categorize them by location, such as home, local or travel, or by cost, such as free, cheap or pricey. Then write them out on colored Popsicle sticks. You can split up the categories by color for easy selection. DIY Budget Girl estimated the cost for supplies at about $9. Make sure to leave a few blank sticks for filling out later as you think of more ideas. The best part about this gift is you can enjoy it all year long, not just on Valentine's Day.
Handwritten letter
This gift doesn't cost anything, but is actually one of the most sentimental gifts on this list. Sitting down and writing someone a letter used to be a common way to express love, but these days technology and a faster pace of life have made letters a lost art. Take time to tell someone how you feel, whether it's a long letter to a significant other or a nice note to a relative that could use a smile.
Dedicate a playlist
For this idea, technology can play a helpful role. Where mixtapes and CDs held music in years past, now you can create a customized digital playlist to share with your Valentine. Music is the perfect way to share with someone how you feel when words aren't your strongpoint. Pick songs you remember from when you first started dating, or the one the DJ played when you danced at the first wedding you attended together. Make sure to include a song or two from their favorite artist.
Homemade treats
Bake your Valentine's favorite dessert, whether it's brownies, cookies or cake. Give it a romantic spin by cutting it into heart-shaped pieces (a set of cutters is only about $8 from Target). Or, write a heartfelt message with decorative icing or piping gel. If you want to take your dessert up a notch, take two heart-shaped cookies and fill them with ice cream or frozen yogurt to make a sandwich. Cover the edges of the ice cream with pink and red sprinkles.
A handmade gift (by someone else)
When you want a unique, handmade gift but find yourself challenged by crafts, Etsy is the place to look. You can find endless one-of-a-kind gifts offered by the talented sellers and creators on Etsy. Conveniently, the site offers a "Popular items for gifts under $10" section.
Relaxing together
The latest craze to destress and unwind is "adult coloring." Pick up one of many adult coloring books (there are even Valentine's Day themes) which feature intricate designs and patterns meant to help grown-ups melt the stress of the day away. A bonus with this gift is that you and your significant other can color and spend time relaxing together.
Shop the deals
Think you can't purchase a great gift for someone for only $10? Think again. Between lingering post-holiday sales and tons of online and printable coupons, you might be able to get the perfect gift at a fraction of a price. Start by searching your favorite coupon website and looking at the day's top deals.
Remember: It truly is the thought and not the price that counts for making your Valentine feel special!
Jon Lal is the founder and CEO of coupons and cash back website BeFrugal.com, which saves shoppers an average of $27 per order thanks to coupons plus an average of 7 percent cash back at more than 4,000 stores.
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