Unique Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

As I said last week, I fully believe that Valentine’s Day is a complete ripoff. Men are guilt tripped into believing that if we don’t give our sweetie a dozen roses (that die in a week) or chocolates (that she will claim a week later made her fat) that we are not doing our manly duty.

Moreover, the Valentine’s Day marketers use social psychology to leverage peer pressure in their favor by using phrases like:

Don’t risk letting your wife or girlfriend be the only lady at the office that doesn’t get [flowers]!
Show her you love her with this [heart-shaped box of chocolates]!
Why can’t I find a guy like that [who buys me a Teddy Bear]?

What a crock of %^*@!

If your girlfriend/wife is this superficial, you’ve got bigger problems than paying $50 for a dozen red roses.

Be Creative, Not Commercial

If you have a girlfriend like mine, she would probably laugh at flowers or a Teddy Bear and say something like… is this the best you could do?

It’s not that she’s an ingrate, it’s just that she realizes that spending $50 on flowers is a lousy way to celebrate a national holiday, much less say “I love you”. From our vantage point, we enjoy spending time with one another far too much to waste a good holiday on something so cold and commercial.

So if you’re like us and want to do something a little out of the ordinary, you still have 7 days to scheme and plan. Here are a few ideas that I’ve used in the past that might give you a few ideas that you can do yourself, or tweak so they will appeal to your better half.

Spoil her silly! My girlfriend is a sucker for anything involving relaxation. So one of the easiest ways to put a smile on her face (hint: also works if she’s nagging me while watching football) is to run her a bubble bath, light a few of her favorite candles, put on some smooth jazz (Melody Gardot and Miles Davis work well), and a glass of her favorite wine. After an hour of marinating in the bubbles and a glass (sometimes two) of social lubrication, you’d think she just floated down from Cloud Nine.
Take her somewhere you hate going. I’m not a big theater person, but my girlfriend loves it. In fact, she probably goes to see a play 3 to 4 times a year with her friends. So when I need to say “I’m sorry” or want to do something special, I cave and buy two theater tickets. So read the latest reviews, find something that won’t put you to sleep, and get ready to take one for the team.
Feed her sweet tooth the right way! Both of us are fairly anti-sugar and anti-dessert people, but every now and then, we will indulge ourselves in gluttonous proportions with a delicacy we love. Cheesecake just happens to be one of these delicacies, so this year, I’m thinking that I might drive down to the local Cheesecake Factory, buy three of her favorite cheesecake flavors (yes the whole cheesecake), and indulge our her sweet tooth. (We’ll invite the neighbors over the day after for leftovers.)
How about a romantic weekend getaway? While not exactly unique or the most cost effective idea, Valentine’s Day is as good of an excuse as any to take a weekend road trip. We live within driving distance to the Biltmore Estate, and if you have something comparable in your area (like a bed & breakfast), it’s an idea worth considering if you can find the time.

Don’t get me wrong, fancy dinners are still impressive. Trips to the day spa are still soothing. Red roses still say I love you. But for my money, I’d rather put my own unique twist into whatever I’m doing and show my lady that I invested my most precious commodity — time — into her gift.

Memories, unlike flowers, never wilt and die.

Save

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed, or follow me on Twitter or Facebook! Related Posts

Related Websites

Posted by Matt SF @ 7 February 2010 7 comments

7 Comments
Add Comment

Comments

Feb 8, 2010
12:52 pm

#1 Tracy :

Another favorite is framing a really good photo of the two of you together. She will love it.

[Reply]

Matt SF Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 2:15 pm

Good idea! Maybe when we formalize the relationship a little more we can do something like that.

[Reply]

Feb 8, 2010
8:56 pm

#2 Bytta @151 Days Off :

Your loathing of Valentine’s Day entertains me :D. Oh wait, you don’t hate the day, you hate the pressure.

I can’t speak for other girls, but for me, the best gift is when my husband told me that there would be no gift and he surprised me on the day. Exceeding expectation and under-promising always work for me; and many other industries for that matter.

And another point you didn’t mention is that girls do give Valentine’s Day gift to their men. Although it’s probably easier just to settle it in the bedroom, we make some efforts :).

[Reply]

Matt SF Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 6:45 pm

Oh man, you found my secret to dating… set their expectations really low while screwing up a lot, then behave normally. That way, they think you’re improving.

I don’t loathe Valentine’s Day. Just hate the blatant attempts to use social pressure in the name of consumerism and boosting sales.

[Reply]

Feb 9, 2010
2:00 pm

#3 Dallas Dollars :

One unique way to celebrate and save money is to go to an arts & craft store. Buy some red and white construction paper and make her “love coupons”. This can go along with the romantic dinner that you prepared.

[Reply]