How much do you or your other half usually spend on Valentines day? A friend told me he usually buys his girlfriend a bunch of roses and takes her out for dinner. Sweet, but very expensive and is it really necessary?  These romantic gestures set him back around £150 a year, which I think is a total rip off. Especially when there are lots of lovely options for free Valentines gifts!

Although it is nice to receive flowers, the reality is that they are often not very eco-friendly, they look nice for a week, then die. Flowers don’t do the dishes, put the kids to bed or change the bed sheets. 

So, to make the woman in your life feel extra special, without spending any money try some of these ideas!

5 ideas for free Valentines gifts for her:

1.  A homecooked meal  

OK, this isn’t entirely free, but a homemade meal is far cheaper than going out to eat. If you are not a great cook keep it simple. Make sure you have the place to yourselves and spend a little time setting the scene. Clean and tidy the room you are dining in. Light a few candles, dim the lights and add some romantic music.  The effort you put in to this will really show her how much you care. Make eco-friendly by cooking a plant based meal.

2.  Breakfast in bed  

If you have to be up early for work the next day breakfast in bed, can be a very thoughtful gesture on Valentines Day. 

3. Give her the Valentines gift of a massage  

It’s not all about food – a massage is a lovely gift.  Learn a few techniques and dedicate half an hour to massaging your wife, girlfriend, partner with no other distractions.  Again don’t forget to set the scene with candles, relaxing music and dimmed lights.  Take the time to listen during the massage and you will have one grateful woman on your hands. Make your own massage oil with some olive oil mixed with a few drops of her favourite essential oil.

4. Hide some love notes around the house  – a very sweet free Valentines gift

Write her love notes and hide them around her bedroom/ home for her to discover over a period of time.  They will put a smile on her face for weeks to come (remember to hide them well).  

5.  Listen to her and take positive action!  A free Valentines gift, that will be very much appreciated.

Spend some time listening to her this Valentines. Find out what you could do to make her life easier.  For example, if she needs more help around the house, you could commit to taking on more tasks.  She will appreciate that a lot.

Although, in theory you could do all of the above, that would be way too much all at once. 

Just one of these things would be wonderful and a great way to show your love.  You don’t have to spend zero money, as there are affordable options. For example these homemade chocolate hearts are fun and affordable! Also, don’t feel under pressure to be romantic on Valentines day if it isn’t personal to your relationship.  Pick a date that suits you both to do something nice because you want to.