6 affordable Valentine’s Day gifts
No Valentine’s Day gift feels romantic if it leaves either one of you
tied up in knots over how much money just got blown. But that doesn’t
mean you have to look cheap. Steer toward gifts only you could create or
treats that make it easy for both of you to set (and keep) a reasonable
budget—a splurge with built-in impulse control.

- Set up a cozy indoor picnic.Make it feel special
by using all the classic props you can get your hands on: a checkered
tablecloth for the floor, a picnic basket, eco-friendly disposable
plates. If a full meal seems like too much, try finger foods instead.
Include a good bottle of wine (don’t forget the wine glasses!) and
something special for dessert.
- Create a framed photo collage of your relationship.Buy a frame with multiple photo slots and create a timeline of special moments in your relationship.
- Create a mix tape.Okay, so the days of the mix
tapes are long gone—but burn a custom CD or DVD (more storage on the
latter) of MP3s of all the songs that make your loved one think of you.
- If you’re parents, give the gift of time: babysitting.If
your partner is desperate for some solo time (even just to sleep!),
find out when your sweetheart would most like to escape, then take time
off work if you need to in order to make it happen. If date night’s a
rarity, hire an actual babysitter and get the heck out of Dodge
together.
- Give a gift card.If money is tight, keep a rein on
the budget by giving your sweetheart a gift card. You’ll be less
tempted to overspend your budget, and your partner won’t wonder if
you’ve committed to something too extravagant.
- Open a new savings account toward your sweetheart’s wish list dream.Bring that “some day” dream one step closer to reality by opening a dedicated savings accountin
your loved one’s name. Even a tiny bit of cash makes a big impression
when you earmark it for the dream closest to your loved one’s heart.
Courtesy from the credit union PenFed, January 2015