Five Fun and Frugal Last Minute Valentine Gifts for Him

Posted on February 6, 2013 by
Valentine's Day

The following is a guest post from my lovely wife. Please let her know how she did in the comments below. If you’re interested in writing a guest post, please see my guest posting policy and contact me. If you’d like to follow her musings, you can follow her on Twitter.

Let’s be real – Valentine’s Day is a gal’s holiday. It’s difficult to know what to get the man in your life for Valentine’s Day, especially if you’ve waited until the last minute AND you’re trying to be frugal. Finding perfect last minute valentine gifts for him that are also frugal is the trifecta of gift giving; it won’t be easy. Sometimes, the hardest part is knowing what to get him. Rest assured, Frugal Rules is here to help. I’m going to share a few frugal gift ideas that I’ve used myself over the years to find gifts for my husband that he ended up enjoying. Hopefully, these five frugal last minute valentine gifts will help you in your quest to do the same.

 

#1 – Cheap, Quality Cologne is Right Down the Street

My first piece of advice in finding a frugal Valentine’s Day gift is to stay away from the mall and department stores. Most of the time, you can find the same item for less online or somewhere else. If you’ve waited too late to buy even a few last minute valentine gifts online, and you know what kind of cologne your man wears, go to Walmart. I was surprised to find several well-known cologne brands that my husband likes there for around 40% less than I saw anywhere else. Plus, by shopping at Walmart, you won’t get your savings eaten up by shipping fees. And, the cards aren’t far from the cologne so you can pick up  your gift, a card and a nice little bag to wrap it in, all at the same frugal place, saving you time and money.

 

#2 – Make Him a 12-Pack for Valentine’s Day

If your guy likes beer, what better way to show him you care than by hand-selecting 12 different brews you think he’ll enjoy. This concept is popular enough that you should be able to go to your local grocery store and put one together. Two local grocers in our city offer this option and there are a few specialty liquor stores in town that do as well but have a wider variety of beers to choose from. They may even be running a Valentine’s Day special!

 

#3 – Two Last Minute Valentine Gifts for Your Sports Nut

If your man loves all things sports like mine does, then these two frugal, last minute valentine gifts ideas should do the trick this Valentine’s Day. Get him a subscription to a magazine – either electronic if he has a Kindle, iPad or other e-reader, or paper. If he likes ESPN or Sports Illustrated, you may even be able to score him a subscription to “ESPN The Magazine” for free as I did by getting him my other frugal sports gift idea – a subscription to ESPN Insider (not an affiliate link). I chose the two year option for about $30 and he loves it. It’s seriously one of the best gifts (last minute or otherwise) I think I’ve ever given Mr. Frugal Rules. :)

 

#4 – Pick a Personalized Frugal Accessory or Gadget Gift

Does your man like to play guitar? Get him a pack of pics. If he plays drums, pick up a pair of sticks for him. Then, personalize them by writing him a special message on the sticks and pics. Is he a bookworm? Look for or make him a bookmark or grab a book light for his paper books or eReader. Heck, you could make a ‘Book Lover’s’ gift package complete with highlighters, candy or nuts to munch on and the aforementioned items, all of which are frugal, fun, easy to find and well-suited for last minute valentine gifts. The key is to think little, ordinary and personal. When packaged together and presented with a thoughtful card, your man will see you put time and thought into his Valentine’s Day gift, and should feel loved and appreciated, which is ultimately what you’re trying to achieve.

 

#5- Bake a Cake (or Brownies or Cookies or Candy)

The night before you and your husband or boyfriend are going to celebrate Valentine’s Day, turn your kitchen into his personal bakery. If you like to bake, this is a fun, frugal Valentine’s Day gift idea. If I was going to do this for Mr. Frugal Rules, for example, I would make my killer brownies since they’re his favorite desert that I make. Buy a red or Valentine’s Day themed plate, place the brownies, cookies, candy, cupcakes or whatever you decide to bake on the plate, wrap it up and place a bow on top. If Valentine’s Day falls on a week day and you feel comfortable doing it, surprise him at work by dropping the plate and a small note off to him there. He’ll surely be the envy of his co-workers and you will have accomplished your goal of giving him some satisfying last minute valentine gifts!

 

The Sentiment Behind Frugal Last Minute Valentine Gifts

Frugal and cheap are two different sentiments. Frugal gifts pack value for their cost; cheap Valentine’s Day gifts are just, well…cheap. You know the difference. Look for a good deal, not necessarily a cheap product. Remember that the goal of Valentine’s Day gift giving is to make the man in your life feel loved. Valentine’s Day is a special day (albeit probably contrived by the greeting card industry to make billions off us each year)  that we get to show that special someone in our lives just how much we love them. Take advantage of it as an opportunity to remind yourself, and him, what you love, appreciate, respect, and admire about him.

What’s are some of the best last minute valentine gifts you’ve given the man in your life?

 

Photo courtesy of: Evobrained

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About the author:

I'm the founder of Frugal Rules, a Dad, husband and veteran of the financial services industry. I'm passionate about helping people learn from my mistakes so that they can enjoy the freedom that comes from living frugally. Follow him on Twitter / Facebook.

64 comments on “Five Fun and Frugal Last Minute Valentine Gifts for Him”

  3. I don’t need my girlfriend to get me an expensive gift or really any gift at all. I am much more happy when she puts thought into the gift – like cooking me my favorite meal or offering to do some of my household chores for the day. Don’t get me wrong, I do like gifts, they just aren’t required and most times, the simpler the better.
    Jon @ MoneySmartGuides recently posted..My Biggest Money Problem $999.99 GiveawayMy Profile

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  15. Agreed – frugal and cheap are to very, very different things. I love your ideas, as it truly is the sentiment behind the gift that really matters. My husband isn’t expecting anything extravagant, but I know he appreciate something that shows I care – maybe a 12 pack of his favorite beers. Or a few of his favorite bottles of wine. :D
    Shannon Ryan @ The Heavy Purse recently posted..Gratitude versus EntitlementMy Profile

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  24. BF always asked me to make sweets. I typically end up buying a bag of oreos and calling it good. This year I’m going to make him his favorite cake as a surprise. He teases that I never cook and don’t know how to turn on the oven, so this year I’m going to have to prove him wrong.
    KK @ Student Debt Survivor recently posted..Chained to Your Work?My Profile

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  32. As a family we are going to make construction paper hearts, and write messages on them. We’re going to take pictures of us, and the kids holding them and send the pictures to our extended family members. We’ll probably stay in and have a romantic homemade dinner as well.

    Nice gift ideas though, I especially like the beer one!
    Johnny Moneyseed recently posted..Your Money or Your Life: Part 1My Profile

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