Creative and Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas

Valentine’s Day is next Friday. I’m looking forward to the annual pandemonium in my local Stop & Shop, where people race in to snatch up any flowers they can find.

Even if money is tight, you can probably do better than the last droopy, blue-dyed supermarket carnations. But for some people, the urge to find the right gift or to book the perfect reservation can be fraught, said Vivian Tu, the author of “Rich AF” and host of the podcast “Networth and Chill.”

Social media has magnified the pressure, Tu said. “It’s not enough to love your partner in private,” she said. “You have to do it in this grand display.”

It doesn’t have to be that way. I asked experts for advice on affordable ways to show your loved one you care.

A unique gift says ‘I see you.’

You don’t need to spend a lot of cash to get a quirky present that reflects your partner’s personality, said Chris A. Matthews, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Charlotte, N.C. Instead, he said, your gift should “show that you are paying attention to what they like, and what they are like.”

Think about presents that can be personalized, Tu said. She once gave her husband a custom Lego kit from Etsy (like this one) with two figurines based on the two of them. If your loved one likes to cook, Tu added, you can get a cutting board engraved with the place where you had your first kiss, a romantic reminder they will see every time they use it.

If you know your partner’s love language, consider a gift tailored to that, Matthews said. For significant others who thrive on words of affirmation, he suggested, write a handwritten note with specific things that you appreciate about your partner. For those who prefer physical touch, he said, buy some body oil and offer a long massage.

Experiences can strengthen your bond.

Doing things together can be more memorable than presents, Tu said. She and her husband once took an art class where they built tortoise figurines. “My husband does not have an artistic bone in his body, but he took this class because I wanted to take it,” Tu said. “My tortoise came out looking almost identical to the instructor’s, and his tortoise came out looking like it had been dropped into a vat of toxic waste.”

Both tortoises are on display in their home. “Now we have a story to tell, and it’s a little piece of memorabilia we have that we built together,” Tu said.

Or you can replicate a “paint and sip” art night at home, said Tennesha Wood, a dating coach and matchmaker in Atlanta. Buy a couple of canvases, some paint and a bottle of wine and you’re good to go, she said.

Another idea is to organize a scavenger hunt around your partner’s favorite food, Wood said. If the person likes doughnuts, “you could hit up the best doughnut spots around your city or town according to Yelp,” she suggested.

Trying something new can bring you closer together, she said, because it’s fun, exciting and conducive to teamwork. “And different can be just as appealing as expensive,” Wood pointed out.

If you’re been together a while, try reminiscing.

For those in a long-term relationship, a nostalgic activity can boost your affection by enhancing your sense of belonging and commitment, said Ashley Thompson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, who studies relationships.

Think of a date that you went on early in your relationship and try it again, she said. On her first date with her partner, they watched “10 Things I Hate About You,” which they periodically revisit.

Consider popping some popcorn, parking yourselves on the couch, hooking up your photo library to the television and taking a journey down memory lane, Dr. Thompson said.

You can also revisit something you or your partner used to enjoy when you were younger, like ice skating or indoor roller-skating, that brings out or revives your sense of playfulness, Wood added.

Last-minute gifts still count.

Even if you leave Valentine’s Day planning to the day before, it’s not too late, Matthews said. “It’s really true that it’s the thought that counts,” he said. Just show some effort, he added, even if you don’t have much time or money.

If your partner loves breakfast, Wood said, you can run out the night before and get ingredients or a mix for pancakes (or waffles, if you have a waffle maker).

Think of three different kinds of pancakes you can make or create a topping bar, she said, both of which elevate the gesture. That trio of pancakes is “better than the last-minute Stop & Shop flowers and will probably cost you less,” she said.

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