Inexpensive Valentine's Gifts

Love shouldn't have a price.

This is especially true during difficult times. Like Christmas Spirit, Valentine's day romance gets lost somewhere between the parking lot and the cash register, making people forget the purpose of the celebration. There's no need to break the bank to express love. Some of the best tokens of affection cost next to nothing at all.

1. Coupons

For this gift, you need nothing more than a computer with an art program and a printer with ink . Think of something your Valentine would love to do or have, something they can get only from you (use your imagination). You could offer to keep the kids while your spouse has a day off or offer to do all of their chores for a week. Once you think of an idea, print them a coupon for that gift. Get creative with the decorating- personalize it. You can even add an expiration date, if you like. Make a little book of coupons, each one offering a gift with no strings attached. Just be sure to honor the coupon when it's time to cash it in.

2.Valentine's Day Feast

Food is romantic. Cooking together may seem cliche and it has been done to death by Hollywood; but that's because it works. Food brings people together. Find something you both like but give it a twist. Find a recipe you haven't tried yet. Set the table for two and make it a long evening in.

3. Custom Gift Basket

A store bought gift basket can cost a lot. Such baskets are pretty but not personal. Instead of buying a gift basket, buy a plain ordinary basket, or dig one up around the house. Line the inside with colorful paper or fabric. Then, fill the basket with goodies. The basket will come together better if you have a theme in mind.

For a movie lover, you might buy a dvd on sale, find a few boxes of movie candy or popcorn, add a movie rental gift card or postcard sized pictures of their favorite actor. It doesn't matter if your Valentine is a reader, a sports lover or a craft fanatic, you can save money by buying a bunch of little one-dollar gifts instead of a big $100 gift.

4. Picture Gifts

Gifts with pictures are the most personal gifts. Create a scrapbook of your fondest memories, or make a frame for your favorite wedding picture. You could also use your computer to make a video montage and set it to your special song.

5. Little Things

The most thoughtful gifts come out of the personal history that you and your love share. For example, a stuffed Mickey Mouse doll seems like a corny gift- until you find out that the couple spent their honeymoon at Disney World.

For couples who have been together a while, every possible gift has been given, including all the classics, until you find yourself exchanging off-brand greeting cards and calling it a night. But your past holds alot of gift ideas of itself. Those little (inexpensive) tokens of affection have a special meaning that only you two understand.

Celebrity love affairs are notoriously brief. They also tend to end with shocking bitterness. If you think about it, these people have the most money to spend on lavish gifts. If money were an accurate expression of love, you would think they had found that special connection. But that's not the case.

Don't let a budget stop you from telling your Valentine how much you really care.