So the holiday of love (or over-commercialization, depending on who you ask) is coming up.
I am trying to think of some good gifts for CB, as this Valentine’s Day will also mark our seventh year together. We almost never celebrate our anniversaries, though last year CB bought me an absolutely delicious bottle of ice wine. And, on our first Valentine’s Day together, CB left a rose on my desk in one of my class and boy, did I get teased that day! High school kids are merciless.
Unfortunately, for this Valentine’s Day I seem to be fresh out of ideas on what to get him. The likeliest gift would be AAA membership. CB has an old car prone to problems, and I’ve suggested to him that AAA might be a good idea. I’ve had my member for a few years and it makes me feel better to know that if something happens to my car, help is only a phone call away. At $47 for basic coverage or $64 for premium, it’s not a cheap gift by any means, nor will it win any Romantic Gift of the Year award. But I think it’s a gift that will be most practical.
We’ll both be trying to keep this day on a budget – we might splurge for a nice dinner at a tapas place we love, but I’d rather we go out to eat after Valentine’s Day weekend.
A few other budget / useful ideas I had were: a Nerf rocket-launcher (do they make those? CB engages in Nerf warfare with his friends. Sometimes I join in), movies (fun for everyone!), flask (very Mad Men, I think), a trip to the shooting range (this is something we’ve talked about since college but have never done), or wine-tasting (mmm wine).
What are you getting your partner for Valentine’s? Maybe we can get a brain-storm going in the comments. 
image source: ehow.com
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The BF and I are going on a wine tour on Valentines Day. We are going to three wine estates in Long Island which comes with a lunch as well as making our own bottle of wine. We're still trying to think of names. So far Luva Juice is in the lead…LOL!
7 years??!! That is impressive. I could imagine that the ideas start to run thin after being together that long. However, I think the AAA membership may be the best idea. I've often heard that men love practical gifts rather than thoughtful ones. So, he'll love it. Men also love wallet and watches! Apparently, they can't ever get enough of those. So check out his collection to see if he needs any updating…
Hahha it's funny you said wallet. He is still using the wallet I got him for Christmas 2003! Maybe I'll save the watch idea for later when I can spend more on his gift.
My guy and I have a resolution to go to the gym more and get back in shape… but which bad weather and cute movies out, we keep slacking. So I found a book that is all about diet and exercise to make your sex life the best its ever been! I think we'll like it!
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I love the idea of a gift ideas brainstorm, because I am having serious issues this year. My one thought was to get those extendable fork things that you use for roasting marshmallows, because we like camping, and we don't have those. I have a problem with getting him gifts that are really for US and not just for HIM (ie: tickets to a show, sushi making kit, board games). Of course, he likes doing things together…but sometimes I'd like to be a little more selfless about my gift giving and find something that is for him and only him, you know?
If anyone is a gift-genius, he's into sports (Pittsburgh Penguins, California Golden Bears) and music and camping/skiing/outdoorsy stuff.
It's been 5 years, and I still have a hard time with Valentine's Day! It doesn't help that he is a truly great gift-giver.
How about.. game tickets? A new iPod (if he needs an upgrade), a camping trip for the both of you? Camping gear (hmm… a portable stove to take to go camping? A down-lined sleeping bag?) A ski pass?
..Did I hit the mark with any those of ideas?
Haha, thanks. Actually, many of those things have been gifts in the past
I did come up with a great idea this weekend, but of course the store online where I saw it on Friday afternoon doesn't have it anymore! Can't find it anywhere, and should have just bought it on Friday…argh. Oh well. I'm a woman on a mission!
This will be my 7th Valentine's Day with the BF too! (Unless you count when we were still in high school and a group of us went to a concert on Valentine's day. Then it would be 8, but that's cheating since we weren't dating, lol.)
Anyway, while we don't do gifts anymore, I certainly saw some good ideas on your list. We were supposed to go to a winery last year (like Investing Newbie mentioned) so I'd be all for that, and I was thinking of taking the BF to the shooting range for his birthday….but then again you can never go wrong with movie tickets (plus you get to go along too, I hope).
And there's his bday present. I love the shooting range idea!!!
7 years? My goodness, that is a lasting relationship. I was thinking about a couples massage, but not so sure…it's approaching really fast and TBH i forgot all about V-day. Not sure if a massage will be doable in our budget. However, we're looking at going away for a weekend the week after (something I've been wanting to do for a while, and which will hopefully also be a celebration of him paying off his car loan).
I like the wine-tasting idea. On previous v-days, I would just give the guy a card and I never expected anything but a card with a sweet note written inside in return. (I'm in the 'I believe v-day is commercialized and overrated' camp).
We don't really exchange gifts either (and, Christmas gift spending was only less than 2 months ago).. but I figured it'd be nice, seeing how it's also our anniversary and all.
Oh yeah! Your anniversary! 7 years already, wow. Definitely wine-tasting and maybe a nice dinner as well. Can you add him to your AAA membership as a supplement? Or do you have to be married for that?
I bought my husband a copy of _Encyclopedia of Pasta_ by Oretta Zanini De Vita. It's the perfect gift for him as he loves pasta and cooking. Plus, the book was reasonably priced ($20 on Amazon) but because it's a hardcover, it looks more luxe than the price tag.
My wife is easy, I just get her the latest hardback book that is out from one of her favorite authors. She likes to collects them and actually has a fairly decent modern library (Stephen King, Grisham, etc)…
You sound like the coolest girlfriend!!! You CB is a lucky guy, I wish I could just convince my wife to find a wine that she likes (it sucks drinking wine alone when eating out… I feel like a wino!)
As for gifts I'd like, hmmm… I'm always partial to a flash drive… I guess I'm not very romantic, I would want socks, maybe a new video game, and stuff like that, hehehe…
New video games are definitely cool. If I were loaded I’d buy him a PS3.. but those run $300+. Maybe your wife might like some sweeter wines? Try ice wines or moscatos… they are dessert wines and are delicious. I like Barefoot’s Moscato ($5-$6): cheap, sweet but not cloying, very light.
A PS3 would be sweet! The guys at work are always pestering me to buy one (they all play on online), but I can't afford it, too many other things I need first. I mainly play with my kinds on their WII… The nice thing about a PS3 is that it's also a blue ray player (so it's a win-win)…
I'll have to try that Moscato out, thanks for the suggestion!
I wonder if you can find some experience to do together? A play, a game, a concert? DH and I don't exchange gifts on V-Day anymore (we've been together 13 years, married for almost 9) so we just make a point to spend some time together-that's really what both of us want and don't get enough of. One fun (and coincidentally) frugal idea is to play "island". You can make the "island" your bedroom (or main floor, or den or wherever) and you bring all the stuff you'll need for the day/afternoon/evening and pretend the two of you are on an island (i.e., you can't leave and no one else can get to you). When we do this we gather food, drinks, music, maybe a movie, whatever you'd do together. There are no cell phones/computers on the island, so you spend time talking, snuggling, etc. (I'll leave the etc. to your imagination…) It's a nice way to reconnect.
The island idea seems really interesting! I think we'd get cabin fever if we stayed in my studio for a whole day without going outside, but I can probably do an at-home picnic with wine and a movie.
Thanks for the idea.
Nice gift idea sharing.. i am waiting for every year valentines day..I like this day..