Let’s be real – Valentine’s Day is a gal’s holiday. Finding perfect last minute valentine gifts for him that are frugal is the trifecta of gift giving; it won’t be easy. It’s difficult to know what to get the man in your life for the holiday, especially if you’ve waited until the last minute AND you don’t want to spend a bundle of cash.
Sometimes, the hardest part is knowing what to get him. Rest assured, we’re here to help. Our guide shares some of the top Valentine gifts for the special man in your life.
Table of Contents
Last Minute Valentine Gifts For Him
Are you looking for a last minute Valentine gift for your husband or boyfriend? You can purchase one that won’t break the bank.
This post shares a few frugal gift ideas that I’ve used over the years to find gifts for my husband that he really liked.
Hopefully, these five frugal last minute valentine gifts will help you in your quest to do the same.
1. Pick a Personalized Frugal Accessory or Gadget Gift
Does your man like to play guitar – then look no further for one of your last minute Valentine gifts. Get him guitar picks. 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.
You can make a ‘Book Lover’s’ gift package complete with hi liters, 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 given with a homemade 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.
2. Amazon Fire TV Stick
Does your man enjoy to watch a show at the end of a long day but hates having a nasty cable bill? This is where the Amazon Fire TV Stick can be one of the great last minute Valentine gifts he’ll love.
With the Amazon Fire Stick he can plug it in to your TV and have unlimited access to the Amazon Prime, library.
In addition to that, you can also watch from channels like A&E, the History Channel, and many more.
We’ve had the Amazon Fire Stick for several years and really enjoy what it offers. If you want to cut the cord completely, you can also buy him a Mohu Leaf 50 to get all your local channels in crystal clear fashion.
3. Give the Gift of Sports
If your man loves sports like mine does, then these two frugal, last minute valentine gifts ideas should do the trick this Valentine’s Day. Buy him a subscription to a magazine – either electronic if he has a Kindle, or other e-reader, or paper.
*Related: If you’re looking for some ideas for some last minute Valentine gifts for that special woman in your life, you can check out the post here.*
If he likes ESPN, you may even want to get him a subscription to ESPN+. The service doesn’t replace having ESPN, but it’s a standalone service that offers loads of original content and live sports you may not find elsewhere.
The service is a mere $9.99 per month, has no contract, and offers a discounted price of $99.99 if you subscribe for a year. Read more about the platform in our ESPN+ review.
4. Get Him Something For the Grill
If your husband enjoys grilling as much as mine then anything to use while doing so will be one of the best last minute Valentine gifts you can buy.
I’ve bought my husband a number of grilling accessories and items in the past and they always go over well.
Grilling might only be considered a summertime activity, but if you have a gas grill then it still works in February.
BBQ sauce is always a popular gift, which is why I’ve given my husband the Kansas City BBQ set variety pack in the past as he loves it.
Other excellent choices that work well as last minute Valentine gifts are the Cuisinart Grill Kit or the bbq rub kit from Flying Swine for the grill lover in your life.
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!
Another option is to pair this sweet treat with a gift card from his favorite store so he can purchase a little something for himself.
Gift Card Outlets is a good choice for this as they sell discounted gift cards.
Summary
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?
I’m Nicole Schmoll – a master’s-educated professional writer, mompreneur, and co-founder of Frugal Rules.
As a freelance copywriter in Omaha, I still believe that writing is an artistic expression. Every time I strike the keys, I intend to evoke a response from my listeners. I left my full-time career as a senior copywriter for an insurance agency to start my own freelance writing business.
I love watching and writing about TV (and how to stream it!)
Greg loves it when I bake him a cake. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. He likes box cakes. =)
Some of the best cakes I’ve made came from boxes 🙂
I will have to pass this post along to my wife 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks DC! That’s the beat compliment I could receive on my writing. Glad it was useful and I hope you get something you’ll love.
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.
I can certainly relate. Mr. Frugal Rules is the same way. 🙂
My husband would love the 12 pack suggestion as well as a made at home steak. Good suggestions.
Cool. Let us know of one of those beers ends up becoming a new favorite.
I would go with baking a cake. I love eating cake and my wife is great in the kitchen so it sounds good to me 🙂
I agree Glen. I am a cake fan too. It was especially fun to see our youngest dive into his cake last weekend for his first birthday. Kinda makes you want to ditch the fork and use your hands. 🙂
I told him I wanted a Valentines Day cake this year haha! I’m excited for that. For him, I plan on just getting him gift cards and a business card holder 🙂
Practical is good, especially for guys. In general my opinion on gift giving is that it’s most important to give something that you think the other person will actually enjoy.
Great post, Nicole! Love the idea about the hand-picked 12 pack. And you’re so right: frugal and cheap are two totally different things. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Thanks, Laurie. Isn’t that funny about the frugal vs. cheap thing? Here I go around thinking I’m always frugal and never cheap and then Mr. Frugal Rules will point out to me that there are certain times when I am just being plain cheap. I’m so thankful for the distinction because then I can adjust accordingly. 🙂
I like the 12 pack idea! Wouldn’t go for the cheap cologne though, that does scream “didn’t know what to get you”, like the tie or pair of socks!
Ha ha! I guess you just really have to take it on a case by case basis because Mr. Frugal Rules loves to get cologne as a gift and he loves it even more when he knows I got it as a deal.
We don’t usually buy any gifts for Valentine’s Day. In our house, just being able to both be free that evening is a huge bonus for us. When we are, we’ll either cook a meal together and set the table for a intimate dinner, or we’ll go to a nice restaurant and savour a good meal.
KK – that sounds fabulous. The college group at our church is offering free babysitting on Valentines Day so we are thinking of taking our kids up there and enjoying a quiet meal to ourselves as well 🙂
Sorry….I got to #2 and started giggling out loud….
BEER!!!!! ……showing this to my wife right now. BEER!!!!!!
Ha Ha Ha. Can’t go wrong with beer for sure 😉
I am all about some beer. My wife can get me a 12 pack any holiday and I would be happy. She knows it would have to be a micro-beer.
I’m detecting a theme here with the guys, (to any ladies who are reading the comments…) 🙂
I love the beer idea, and I think guys always love a good gadget!
I especially like the personalization that a hand-picked 12-pack allows for. And if he lets you have a taste or two you just might find a new fav beer yourself!
The 12-pack idea is a great one! My husband loves trying different beers and he would love that as a gift. Thanks for the tip 🙂
The other thing I did recently for mr frugal rules was get him the essentials necessary for a home brew kit. It’s something fun that we think we can try doing together.
12 Beers, I’d be lucky to get 2! You’ve landed on your feet here John. 🙂
Did I mention that I LOVE football as well? 🙂
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. 😀
Wine is a great suggestion! Whatever he enjoys…I once gave mr. Frugal Rules a bottle of raspberry vodka as a gift.
I used to get a small bottle of cologne for Christmas every year from my mother from the time I started shaving until the time I graduated college. I still have some of those bottles!
Now the brownies area gift I’ll take any day!
That’s very cool, and sentimental!
I love idea #5 – Bake a Cake (or Brownies or Cookies or Candy). I’m a sucker for home cooking! I cook some myself but there’s nothing better and appreciated than when someone else treats you to their own cuisine or baked goods.
I couldn’t agree more!
My wife and I exchange token gifts, she gives me oatmeal raisin cookies and I give her sees (4-6 pieces) candy.
As long as you see eye to eye and feel appreciated and loved, I think that’s perfect!
hmmm…..brownies and cupcakes! Nothing says I love you my sweetie than a sweet delicious treat!
Now that’s true! I do have a killer brownie recipe that I just may have to bust out next week…
#5 is definitely a winner in The Frugal Path household. My wife doesn’t bake often, I really don’t need it. However, when she does it makes my day.
That’s very sweet (all puns intended) 🙂
#2 is brilliant!!
Another great one Nicole. Beer and ESPN, what man wouldn’t love that! Great idea with the sports magazine. I think I just might use that.
If your man is always checking ESPN it just might be a home run 🙂
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.
You go KK. Prove him wrong (in love of course :))
These are great ideas for gifts for guys for Valentine’s Day!!! I think I’m going to bake a cake or something. 🙂
Sounds good Sonya. You’ll have to post back and let us know what you end up making. 🙂
My husband is quite picky when it comes to his things so I am really having a hard time buying him gifts. I am planning to bake a special chocolate cake for him because we both have sweet tooth and we go crazy over chocolate-based foods.
Sarah, that sounds delicious. I think I’d like to come to your house for Vday! 🙂
Genius. I need to buy myself some more cologne FOR Valentine’s Day.
Ha ha ha ha. Nice, Todd.
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!
I LOVE your idea! This is something I’d like to do with our kids when they are just a little bit older. I love the idea of expanding Vday to enduring, familial love beyond just the romantic love so kids can get a concept of love as beyond what the culture can sometimes present so shallowly.
I like the hand-selected 12 pack for beer drinkers. My husband is getting a case of his favorite potato chips that they no longer sell anywhere near us. It wasn’t cheap but he’ll love it!
Way to get your husband something personal, unique and that he’ll enjoy, Kay!
What no tools!? Well,, i guess a gadget gift fig counts! The 12 Pack certainly is a novel and well received idea!
Great ideas! I’m stumped. So far I have….a bar of dark chocolate. Uh….If I get to shop before tomorrow, VDAY, it’’’ be this afternoon….and I have no idea what to get him. He isn’t into much. Maybe the ESPN thing for his ipad….that sounds good. THANKS!!!!!
I always like a nice photo in a nice frame. You can get an enlargement at Walmart and can even crop and lighten the photo there. At Sam’s you can have a favorite photo enlarged to poster size for about $30.
I confess I love to cook a romantic meal for him for Valentine’s Day. Seared scallops in a wine cream sauce is a good start!
That’s a great idea Maggie! I think you can take the photo idea a number of ways – like a nice photo including the kids and be a hit.
That’s awesome Maggie…I think I’m hungry now. 🙂
Great for the procrastinators out there!