Just around the corner is Valentine’s Day, when loved ones and close friends exchange gifts and spread admiration for each other. Some are planning a Galentine’s with girlfriends, potluck-style, and a dress code calling for red silk pajama sets. Others are making dinner reservations with their special someone, and exchanging roses and chocolates. However, there are surely a few people out there who are scrambling to configure a last-minute yet meaningful gift but have no idea where to start. Continue reading to collect potential ideas for the perfect Valentine’s gift to get a girl on a budget. 

Let’s start simple: in your pocket you have ten dollars and a girl on your mind. Ten dollars may seem like nothing, but it can certainly turn into a thoughtful gift. Firstly, we’re going to purchase her favorite chocolate brand with Valentine’s-themed packaging of course, and then make our way toward Michaels to purchase some pipe cleaners. With an hour of commitment and the right source to guide you, you can produce the prettiest flower out of mere pipe cleaners. The flowers and chocolates paired with a nicely written card make for the perfect gift on a ten-dollar budget and can confirm that the thought is truly what counts.

Perhaps you saved a little extra money gifted by your elders from this holiday season, but you don’t know how to spend it on your loved one. Now we’re working with fifty dollars and can apply more creativity to this process. Gift baskets are adored by everyone and are the perfect gift to make with this budget. Target is going to be the source of all the magic. Find her preferred candle scent, a cute stuffed animal, a Starbucks or Dunkin’ gift card, and her favorite candy. Make those pipe cleaner flowers and include the necessary card, and boom, there’s your gift basket. Needless to say, there is no clear-cut list of things you must place in the gift basket, but there are many guides and lists that can give you good ideas.

Now, for those of you who have a solid hundred dollars in your Apple Pay, its time to start thinking about whether that should go toward one expensive gift or a collection of small gifts. If you choose to go the route of a collection of gifts, you can follow the gift basket outline and add a bouquet of authentic flowers, which is something you can never go wrong with. Roses and lilies are the top two favorites.. Apart from a gift basket, you can get her a necklace or bracelet from Pandora, which is a popular choice for relatively cheaper jewelry while maintaining good quality. Make sure that you are aware of the metal color that matches the rest of her jewelry, and of course, make note of what cuts and types she already wears. Flowers and jewelry are the perfect pair for a Valentine’s Day gift with both thought and financial effort. 

Hopefully, you gained some insight into how you can use your creativity to go from a few dollars of change to a cute present for your significant other; however, you also realized that this day isn’t about the gifts or how much you spent on them. Valentine’s Day is a day to acknowledge those around you that you love, including platonically. You’re surrounded by red and pink, symbolizing hearts and the overflow that those surrounding you cause your own to do in addition to laughter and joy. Therefore, do not concern yourself with not being able to give “enough” physically and through mere tangible items; instead, be reminded of all that you have both given and received through memories and love with friends, family, and loved ones.