4 original budget-friendly gift ideas to woo your Valentine

Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it, along with the stress of getting a creative gift for your sweetheart that won't cost a small fortune. Don’t worry! Here are some original budget-friendly ideas.

Instead of a bouquet of roses...

Offer a potted plant that’ll make it to spring!

• While cut flowers are beautiful, they're anything but budget-friendly. Unlike true love—which lasts forever—cut flowers are good for two weeks at most. And frankly, there’s nothing more depressing than throwing out a dead Valentine’s Day bouquet.
• As an alternative, pick up a flowering plant for an affordable price (something you can keep indoors or even plant in the garden when the weather warms up).
• It'll last for months and maybe years to come. Best of all, every time it blooms, it'll remind your significant other of you. Talk about a symbol of lasting love.

Instead of store-bought chocolates...

Prepare your sweetheart's favourite dessert at home!

You can still satisfy your loved one's sweet tooth without having to head off to the store, fight the crowds, then splurge on an overpriced chocolate sampler or local handmade chocolates.

• If your Valentine is charmed by sweet treats, why not set up a fun "date" to spend some quality time in the kitchen with him or her whipping up a batch of cookies or baking the perfect cake?
• Put on some romantic music, perhaps open some wine, and the rewards of your labour will be delicious!

Instead of a store-bought greeting card...

Create a personal handwritten note!

Don’t let the pre-packaged sentiments of greeting card makers put words in your mouth! What better way to melt your Valentine's heart than to hear in your own words what matters most to you about your relationship?

• You don’t have to be a poet: just speak from the heart. For a heart-skipping surprise, leave the note somewhere so that your Valentine will easily find it when you’re not around.
• Ready to make a really grand gesture? Sit your sweetheart down and read the note aloud to him or her.

Instead of a candlelit dinner for two at a restaurant...

Organize a potluck party at home with friends!

Although it's wonderful to spend time alone with your Valentine, sometimes what couples really lack in their day-to-day lives is time spent with their nearest and dearest.

• Plan an intimate, but simple, dinner party and only invite a handful of your closest friends – people whom you don’t see often.
• For something even more low-key, a potluck party complete with a roaring fireplace and fun board games is an excellent way to reconnect and remind yourself of another kind of love and caring.

If you're willing to think outside the candy box, there's no reason to dip into your retirement fund to make this coming Valentine's Day the most meaningful and memorable ever.