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Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas – From Cheap to Pricey

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Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Every Budget

“You got two weeks.” – Terry Benedict, Ocean’s 12

Clock’s ticking guys.  Don’t procrastinate.  Because procrastination will inevitably lead to mental constipation, and there’s hardly a worse feeling than getting close to Valentine’s Day and you’re straining for gift ideas.  That, and when you finally do find that perfect gift?  You’ll get taken to the cleaners when you have to pop for express or overnight shipping.

A few suggestions follow in three price ranges and two categories.  The first is “trinkets” (think… things) and the second is “experiences.”  Because plenty of women would rather go do something.  Just a thought.  Away we go:
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Inexpensive:  The Trinket – Embellished Purse Mirror – $29.95

Nickel if she's a modern type, brass if she likes antique stuff.

The online gift store RedEnvelope.com is a pretty good source for unique & well designed gifts.  Their presentation is top notch too, and if you don’t want to screw around with trying to wrap it, their gift boxes (available for a pricey $5) look perfect.  These Purse Mirrors come in either a warm brass or shined up nickle finish, and are ready to be engraved.  Don’t skip the engraving.  For a more classic touch, have it engraved with her initials.
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Inexpensive: The Experience – Theater Tickets – $30 – $70

Live > Movies

Just about every medium to large sized city in the U.S. has a Shakespeare festival or live theater company.  And most of those perform in a classic theater setting or, if you’re lucky, outdoors during the warmer months.  Live theater gives you the opportunity to dress up a bit and see hard working non-movie star actors, y’know… actually act.
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Mid-Range:  The Trinket – Multi Colored Chocolate Pearl Necklace – $84.00 (reg. $200)

Affordable, and versatile for her.

Buying her jewelery is no easy task (see our guide over here for some how-tos).  And the instinct, especially around Valentine’s day, is to go with something flashy.  The problem with flashy statement pieces is that they spend most of their lives waiting to get worn.  She’s not going to wear some sparkling thing to happy hour on a Thursday.  Instead, opt for a multi-colored pearl strand like this one from Macy’s & she can wear it just about whenever.  The strand has a good weight and feel to it, and the different size, shape, and color pearls make it a fun piece.
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Mid Range:  The Luxury Hotel Stay (in your own city) – $150 – $500

Yeah, this looks like it'd do just fine.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of staying somewhere other than your own home.  Experience the best big luxury hotel, or small boutique hotel that your city has to offer.  When traveling most of us don’t get to try out the best of the best because airfare usually eats up most of the budget.  That won’t be the case if you stay in town.
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Expensive:  The Trinket – Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece Embossed Handbag – $368.00

Brooks Brothers. Not just for the fellas.

Chances are your wife or girlfriend loves shoes, purses, and you.  Probably in that order.  This one from Brooks Brothers has a can’t miss shape, the classic silver-tone hardware on black color scheme, and the golden fleece logo embossed all over the body.  (Too steep?  This non embossed version is on sale for $150)
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Expensive:  The Experience – The Big City Concert Weekend Getaway – $500 – $1500

The Stone Foxes Performing Live

You should know your significant other’s favorite band or singer.  Look up the tour schedule, find a city they’ll be playing that’s no more than a few hours away by air, and buy tickets to the show.  Now you’ve got a great event to center a weekend getaway around.  Live it up for a few days.

Quick poll… What’s the best Valentine’s Day Present you ever gave?  Leave it in the comments section…

Comments

  3. It’s a bit cheap in ticket price, but I think it’s always a good one. Surprise home-cooked meal always works for me. Go all out. Dress sharp, get the white table cloth out, the fine wine, try something creative (make the bread yourself, for example), and don’t forget dessert. It’s valentines.

    Great ideas though, Joe and I’ll second the luxury hotel in your own town one. Another sure hit.

    Cheers,
    Ben

  4. Also, Tiffany & Co has several classic and reasonably-priced items for $250 and under. Most women love to see that robin’s egg blue and you don’t have to shell out a HUGE amount of money.

    Or cook for her. Serious brownie points if you can cook. Even if you can’t, stuffing a chicken breast (with almost anything, cheese, mushrooms, etc) is easy, delicious, and often tastes like a much harder meal than it was to prepare.

  8. Am I alone in thinking that Brooks Brother’s handbag looks like something their grandma would carry?

    Anyway, I also like Etsy for weird and unique gifts, I have even go so far as to contact artists that I found on Etsy and commissioned unique pieces. My brother did this for all the women in our family and it didn’t cost him very much…about $50 per person for handcrafted jewelery or art pieces that were uniquely styled for each person.