Creative and Inexpensive Valentine's Day Gifts

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Do you want to get a Valentine's Day gift for that special someone, but don't have money to burn? Are you tired of those 'conversation hearts' that taste like chalk, or those 'soft-center surprise' chocolates? Do you just want to get the person or people you love something that's different from the norm and that they might get more use out of? I've been there. Money isn't exactly my friend right now, and I have a husband with unusual tastes. Times like this call for a Valentine's Day gift that is still fun, but doesn't cost a lot of money and that isn't 'same-old, same-old'. Here are a few ideas I've picked up over the years.

“Love Coupon” book. They sell these in a lot of stores, but you can easily make them with a simple printer. Each 'coupon' could be good for whatever you want- “redeemable for one free back rub”, “You get to pick the restaurant”, “free pass to go out with the guys”, etc. I think my favorite is the “get out of the doghouse free” card! The only limit is your imagination.

'Game Day' gift basket. For the sports fan, you can make a gift basket of his favorite snack foods and drinks in a 'game day' theme. It doesn't have to be very expensive-beer, popcorn, chips and pizza coupons would do. Depending on the sport, you can also probably find chocolates in the shape of the ball used. I haven't seen any chocolate hockey pucks for my hockey-fan husband, so I could make brownies or cookies in the same shape with his favorite team's logo on it. If he's not into sports, you could do the same thing in a 'movie night' or 'TV night' theme. It doesn't really matter what the theme is; he'll appreciate that you went to the trouble to put together a gift basket just for him!

Classic love note. In these days when everything is typed, it's easy to forget how much of a thrill it can be to get a handwritten love note. My parents used to leave little love notes around the house for each other-on the pad by the phone, in my dad's lunch box, a Post-It placed inside of a book, etc. It doesn't have to be drawn-out or anything, just 'I love you' or some other sweet nothing will suffice.

'Mix Tape' 2.0. iTunes and Rhapsody make it pretty easy to create a CD with songs that make you think of him. Being able to buy jewel cases and make your own CD jackets makes it even easier to personalize a CD just for him. If there are songs associated with things in your relationship-the first dance at your wedding, what was playing on the radio when you first kissed, etc-, list them along with a note about the memory. You could also do what my friend did-create different CDs or playlists to reflect different moods. Even if you don't have a 'theme' other than songs you know he likes, he'll appreciate the effort.

As you can see, you don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money to be romantic on Valentine's Day. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that don't cost anything, but you know they come from the heart.

Ways To Save Money On Holiday Gifts

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I don't know about anyone else, but I love giving Christmas gifts. It's so much fun to see a loved one's face when they open the gift that you found just for them! The only problem is, this costs money. Many of us have been hit hard by the economy and simply can't afford to give gifts the way we would like to. I know this bothers me, especially since I have a really big family that is spread out all over the country. It can be depressing when you see all of the decorations and ads for sales all over town when you know your wallet can't handle the type of consumerism being advertised. Lack of funds, however, doesn't mean that you still can't celebrate the holidays well or show everyone you love them. You just have to get a little creative. Here are a few ways that you can stretch your holiday-gifting dollars.

Instead of getting everyone something individually, gift in the 'collective'. One year when we couldn't afford to go to my parents' for the yearly get-together, my husband and I ordered a roast turkey from Honey Baked Ham and had it sent to my parents' house. That way, we were able to 'gift' everyone at once. We got the kids small presents, but the turkey fed everyone well and was very much appreciated! We also only had to pay shipping once! In terms of local celebrations, offer your house for a holiday party. Invite everyone over for drinks, desserts, games, movies...whatever. The party can be your 'gift' to everyone at the same time, and a good time can be had by all.

Speaking of food items, you can make 'gift packages' for everyone, filled with candy and cookies that you've made. All you have to do is get some confectioner's chocolate from the grocery store (usually it's about $1-$2 for a large batch) and some pretzels. Spread some wax paper onto a cookie sheet, dip the pretzels and lay them on the sheet to set. Put the sheet in the refrigerator overnight, and you'll have chocolate-covered pretzels that can make a perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. In terms of cookies, you can cut them out in fun shapes and decorate them with sprinkles or chocolate chips. You could also use food coloring and make a festive batch of Rice Crispies' treats. Who doesn't love those, right? You can put them in a tin or nice box and serve them to your friends and family members as a nice 'care package'. All you would have to pay for is the materials, which can be found at most grocery stores using coupons or discounts.

As you see, there are ways to make the holidays fun and festive without having to spend a mint or feel bad for not being able to afford much. If you think about it, gestures like this might actually mean more than regular, store-bought gifts because you went out of your way to put time and thought into it.

If you're worried that someone will think you're 'cheap', remember-if they are really your friend or really love you, they'll appreciate the effort. If they don't, they probably don't need to be on your 'list' anyway.

Fun Gifts For The 'Geek' In Your Life

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It used to be that the term 'geek' was a bad thing. I didn't like being called that in high school, and my husband didn't like being shoved in his locker by the jocks. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get the point. But as time has gone on, the term that was once an insult is now somewhat of a compliment. The high school 'geeks' I knew are now smart, successful professionals with quirky senses of humor. There are tons of items celebrating our 'geek-com', my favorites being from a company called ThinkGeek. Most ThinkGeek items can make for good gag gifts, but some of them actually have a purpose! Here are some of my favorites.

The kids in your life might enjoy the Electronic Firefly in a Jar. It looks just like the the ones we caught as kids, but these don't die. These are battery-operated and have a light inside that flickers and moves around, just like a firefly would. They also have one with a frosted 'dreamlight' appearance. Cats also love it, so put it somewhere where it can't be knocked off!

Do you know someone who always hits the snooze bar one too many times? If so, they need the Clocky Robotic Alarm. This battery-operated gizmo not only beeps really loudly when it goes off, it actually runs away from you so that you have to chase it down to turn it off! This forces you to get out of bed, thus waking you up. I think this is a gift that can be annoying but helpful at the same time.

ThinkGeek has no shortage of gadgets for the kitchen. Star Trek fans might enjoy the pizza cutter that looks like the Starship Enterprise. There are also chopsticks that look like the light sabers from Star Wars, as well as ones that have a fork and spoon on the other end. I think that will be useful for someone who is just learning to use chopsticks. There are ice trays that look like brains, ninjas, swords, Batman...you name it. I don't know about you, but I think having ninjas floating around in my glass is pretty funny.

Do you remember the Easy-Bake oven? It's back, but with a twist. ThinkGeek has a mini-donut and mini-cupcake maker. There's a mix that comes with it, or you can make your own. This would be great for college students living in dorms, as well as a housewarming gift.

Did you know there is a such thing as caffeinated soap? I didn't either until I read about Shower Shock. It works on the premise that you can caffeine can soak through the skin. Each 4-ounce bar has 12 'servings' of 200mg each. It's a glycerine-based soap, so it's not hard on your skin. As for other caffeinated gifts, there are Crackheads (chocolate-covered espresso beans), cherry cordials that look like zombie heads and caffeinated hot chocolate. These also would be good for a college student pulling those 'all-nighters' before exam time. That, and...chocolate. Need I say more?

These are just a few of the silly and fun gifts you'll find at ThinkGeek. You can find the general website at www.thinkgeek.com. Happy Holidays!

Gift Shopping For Someone You Do Not Know

Gift shopping is to be fun and give you a time to truly show someone you care and took time out of your busy schedule to get them a token of your thoughtfulness. The issue is that many people feel they have trouble finding a gift that not only coveys what you are aiming to send with your gift, but also to find a gift that is within your budget and appropriate for the occasion.

The first thing to combat when shopping for any type of gift is to realize what you are aiming for. Who and what event are you shopping for? Once you have those taken care of you can start finding the best places such as using online retailers for your gift needs or going from store to store until you find the ideal present. Who the gift is for is crucial, you do not need to know everything about the person you are shopping for, but you need the basics such as how old they are, and any interests they may have. If the gift is for a certain occasion such as a wedding or a birthday, then focus on the event instead of the actual person you are shopping for as that may be more challenging if you do not know them well.

Some thoughts for gifts for people you are not very close to are any of the following:

Gift baskets: use these to combine any types of items that would be appropriate for your event or the gift recipient. Fill the baskets with candies, coffees, teas, muffins, fruit or nuts.

Art: this is a great gift for a teacher or a grandparent, even an aide that may work closely with your child at school. Use some piece of artwork the child has done recently and frame it as a gift.

Collages: these are wonderful for any college student or a family member that may be far away. Collect several different photos and place them in a collage for them as a gift. Making them even more special by using any photos symbolic of the city or town they were from makes the gift even more special.

Stationary: useful for a gift for someone in the hospital as well as any person that enjoys writing personal sentiments. Also, this is a nice gift for anyone with a home based business if you chose to get any stationary with their company name on it.

Food: face it, everyone needs to eat and everyone loves to eat. Any gift can be related to food and be completely acceptable. Cook a nice meal and basket it up and deliver it to your gift recipient. Buying a gift card to any restaurant will be suffice as well. Even a basket with foods in it such as breads, jams and candies are great.

Think of something you would enjoy receiving, something you always would gladly welcome, but never seem to get sent to you for any reason and go from there.

Need Help For Last Minute Gift Ideas?

In the event you are strapped for time and need to quickly come up with a great gift idea, you may find yourself beginning to panic. This does not need to be the case, in fact you can find several gift options for any occasion in no time at all.

Finding a gift in a hurry can be done with ease by using the internet. Allow the web to provide you with millions of gift options, for a child or a corporate event. Decide what the budget is you have in mind first for your gift idea, and work from there. If you shop online you will endure shipping or delivery fees so do ensure you have budgeted for those. Often, people select a gift and are surprised at the total for their gift once the delivery costs are added, and you do not want to have to cancel your order and spend time finding something else, look at the delivery and shipping fees page if the website provides such information first before making your selections.

Next, search for gift options within the event you are buying a gift for. If it is for a child, then you would research children’s gift ideas for delivery. If you have a few days to work with for getting your gift to the recipient, you can opt to order an item at a toy store or many department stores and have it shipped to the store location closest to you. This way you can get the gift ordered and paid for and pick it up to take it to the child, or have the child’s family pick it up to decrease some of those hefty shipping fees. For children’s gift options, seek ones that are age appropriate. For an older child not quite a teenager, but no longer a small one, an option would be to get them a portable music or DVD player. All kids this age have some interest in choosing their own music and movies and between going on vacations, sleepovers and sporting practices back and forth many kids this age need something like this and would love to own one. Music players can be loaded with all of their favorite songs and some units have the ability to load movies and other games on them as well.

For a corporate event, you can use the web to find a special gift to be delivered to show your gratitude for your new business plans. Cookie bouquets and muffin baskets are two options that many use for the whole office to enjoy together and they are the perfect gift that does not have a sentimental attachment to them. For a birthday or anniversary, sending flowers or an E-certificate are nice gifts. A certificate that can be purchased through the web and the recipient receives it in the mail is the quickest way to deliver a gift, the whole process takes around one hour and they love receiving it! Stick to your budget and find the best option for your last minute shopping.