Blog

Money is tight for a lot of Canadians right now, but most of us don’t want to opt out of celebrating holidays like Valentine’s Day. Whether you're feeling the crunch or are just trying to save money, here are some thoughtful, yet budget-friendly, Valentine's Day gift ideas.

Virtually free gifts

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you make on a shoestring budget with your own two hands. If this sounds ideal to you, here are some handmade gift ideas you can pull together for next to no financial investment. 

Homemade chocolate truffles

It's surprisingly easy and affordable to make your own chocolate truffles, and you can make them in so many different ways! This multiple variation chocolate truffles recipe will help you create an impressive assortment with ingredients you may already have in your pantry. If your loved one is a health nut, you can make them these pretty virtuous truffle-like chocolate energy bites instead.

A touching card

In our experience, a heartfelt message of love is worth more than any purchased gift. That's why cards with thoughtful messages make perfect and budget-friendly Valentine's Day gifts. You can make your own cards in many ways (online, by hand etc.), but we love using tools like Canva for beautiful free templates. You can send the finished product by email, have it printed for a couple dollars at a print shop, or print it yourself at home.

Gifts under $20

If your budget has a little wiggle room but is under $20, these gift ideas are for you. 

A handmade floral bouquet 

Even if you don't have a natural talent for floral arranging, you can learn how to arrange your own beautiful floral arrangements with these basic design principles. It's a skill worth cultivating because pre-arranged florals are very expensive in Canada. When it comes to the flowers you'll be arranging yourself, visit your local grocery store like Loblaws or Sobeys to find affordable mini bunches of single flower types. They can even arrange the flowers of your choice as part of your floral department purchase.

A name necklace

There's a reason Carrie Bradshaw always wears her “Carrie necklace” and thinks if it as both worthless yet priceless -- it's personalized for her and nostalgic. Give a personalized gift just like this on Valentine's Day by buying a name necklace for under $20 on Etsy. 

A box of chocolates 

If your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, a gourmet box of chocolates is a classic and well liked gift option you can generally find for under $20. Shoppers Drug Mart is a great place to find boxes from Lindt, Godiva, Pot of Gold, Ferrerro Rocher and other top brands. So is Walmart. If you're looking for higher quality handmade chocolate, visit a local chocolate shop to see what's available in your price range. In Canada, many chocolate shops offer small boxes that start at about $15. These amazing Canadian chocolate shops ship.

Gifts under $50 

If your budget extends up to $50, these gift ideas are great options.

A gourmet cookie box

Chocolate isn't the only gourmet gift option for Valentines with sweet tooths. Gourmet cookie boxes are a great option offered by many bakeries in Canada. There are many options to choose from and big brands that ship nationwide like Craig's Cookies and Colossal Cookie Co., and YVR Cookie.

A professional floral arrangement

While arranging your own florals adds a personal touch, there's no denying that professional floral arrangements add a level of beauty you may not be able to achieve yourself. If you have the budget, a floral arrangement is a great way to show someone you care on Valentine's Day. If you're not sure which flowers your sweetheart loves, here are the most popular flowers.

Gift cards

Gift cards are a great gift, especially if you have about $50 or less to spare. From restaurants to clothing, music and entertainment and everything in between, you can really tailor your choice of gift card to suit the tastes of a hard-to-buy-for special someone.

Gifts under $100

We hesitated to include gifts under $100 in a budget gift ideas article, but what someone considers a tight gift budget is definitely relative. Once you've crossed the $50 mark, you have a lot of impressive gift options.

Jewellery 

When you're shopping for someone special, you may want to buy something as unique as they are. For under $100 you can buy some pretty spectacular jewellery on Etsy.

Alcohol to share

Alcohol can be a great gift option for Valentine's Day because you can enjoy it together on the day. Many people love popping open a nice bottle of sparkling wine like Prosecco or Champagne, or sipping on a fine glass of whiskey while enjoying a deep conversation.

Tech gadgets

When you have under $100 to spend you can give some pretty neat gifts like these affordable tech gadgets that include everything from headphones to blenders.

We hope these budget-friendly Valentine's Gift ideas help you find the perfect gift for your special someone. 

Looking for an affordable apartment for you and your sweetheart to call home? Panoramic Properties would love to welcome you home. Please visit our website to browse our available apartments.