Whew... what a relief! Christmas is over, and all the gift-buying pressure has been lifted off your burdened shoulders. No more panicking about finding the perfect gift for your new girlfriend. No more wondering if your boyfriend will love his card shuffler. No more competing over whose gift meant more or whose gift cost more.

Not so fast…
Don’t get too comfortable in your new sweater from Santa; Valentine’s Day is right around the calendar. That’s right, the holidays are a constant cycle of panic, shop, panic some more and spend, spend, spend.

And if you don’t want your gift to look cheap, try these inexpensive Valentine’s Day gift ideas to maintain your romantic image.

Don’t worry a bit, fellas.
Women are suckers for sentiment. If she thinks you put a lot of thought into her gift, it means you must really know her and love her and want to spend the rest of your life with her. Yes, girls think way too much.

 

Try naming a star after her. I saw Bailey do this for Sarah on Party of Five once. Do you think Jennifer Love Hewitt called Scott Wolf cheap after he took her to a romantic forest and pointed out her star? No way, the chick totally melted. Plus you get an official certificate so you don’t have to look like an idiot just pointing up at the big dipper.

 

If a real star is too pricey, you always can set the mood with glow-in-the-dark stars. Cover her ceiling from corner to corner with these little star decals, and then tell her, “I wanted to give you all the stars in the sky.” Even after Valentine’s Day, every time she looks up at her star-slathered ceiling, she’ll think of you.

 

If your honey doesn’t dig stars, I bet she loves spas. Every girl wants to be treated like a queen, but you probably don’t want to drop $200 for her to get a rub down from a hunky guy. Bring the spa to her! Buy some loofa sponges and massage oil; explain that you want to be the one to pamper her. She may not feel like a queen, but at least she can be a duchess for a day.

Ladies, we’ve got it easy.
Our charm is our most powerful weapon. We can never look cheap as long as we’re looking sexy. Okay, we may look cheap... but not frugal.

 

Lingerie is a brilliant gift. No, not for him! But when he sees you posed in the doorway wearing a skimpy nightie, he won’t even realize you actually bought yourself a gift. Everyone wins.

 

You can always get to his heart through the traditional route. Grab a box of frozen lasagna and a bag of bread sticks. Voila! You’ve got yourself a romantic dinner for two. Throw in some fat-free cheesecake from the freezer aisle, and he’ll never know the difference.

A holiday manufactured by card companies is hardly an occasion to blow all your Christmas money from grandma. But regardless, every coupled one of us is forced to participate so as not to look like an inconsiderate, unromantic fool.

Looking for your special someone in time for the special day? Try a quick search today!