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Even though you may be in an exclusive relationship, anxiety over an appropriate gift can still run high. Your goal should be to decide on just the right thing that balances thoughtfulness with not being too intimate or expensive. Adding to the stress of the holiday season is the economy, which has most Americans tightening their budget belts.

So here’s your dilemma: You’re crazy about your girlfriend (or boyfriend) and you want to do something great for the holidays. You’re high on enthusiasm but unfortunately, low on budget. Don’t panic! TwoOfUs has compiled a number of creative yet inexpensive, thoughtful gifts that will not break the bank.

Get creative…

• For those with artistic talents, draw a very simple black-and-white picture of a memory that you have with your partner (drinking coffee together, walking the dog, going to a concert). Find an inexpensive frame, wrap it up and you’ve started a new tradition. As the months and years go by, you can commemorate many special occasions including birthdays and anniversaries until the person has a growing collection of ‘memory drawings’ from you.
• Coupon book. It may sound sappy, but think about the long-term effects for the upcoming year. You can create coupons for a dinner out (or a dinner in), a foot rub or massage. Guys: This is an opportunity to include yourself in some activities that you normally wouldn’t enjoy with your girlfriend such as attending the theater, or spending a day at the flea market. Girls: The same goes for you … incorporate some things that your guy likes to do but you may not typically want to do such as playing paint ball, checking out a favorite band, golf lessons, etc.
• Create a book. Homemade books really aren’t that hard to make. All you need is some heavy cardstock paper and binder rings. Punch holes in the paper and then attach the rings; the content of the book is up to you. It can be filled with poems, quotes, photos or you can even write and illustrate your own love story.
• Buy a mini-tree. The type of tree can vary – it can be a live holiday tree or something such as a Bonsai Tree. Decorate it with little quotes, love notes or even little gifts.
• CD Mix. This has been around since the days of cassette tapes but you can’t go wrong mixing a CD with favorite music, and these days iTunes makes it really easy to do.

Get cooking…

• Bake up a batch of homemade sugar cookies and decorate them to the max! Brownies, fudge, cakes and cookies are great ways express yourself and show you care (there’s nothing as good as something made-from-scratch). To really impress, be sure to include your guy’s (or gal’s) favorites whether they are typical ‘holiday’ treats or not.
• Candlelit dinner for two. It’s an oldie but a goody and frankly people don’t do this enough anymore. Taking the time to plan a menu and prepare a complete meal is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a wonderfully touching gesture that is sure to charm and please your significant other.
• If you love to cook together as a couple, sit down and create a combined cookbook to which you can add over the years.

Other cool gift ideas:

• Give the gift of an experience. Whether a cooking class, dance class, golf lesson, hot-air balloon ride or sunset sail, the memory will last a lifetime.
• Write a love letter (an honest-to-goodness, handwritten love letter).
• Really pay attention to what your partner loves (besides you). Does he/she love a certain sports team? Maybe he/she is very attached to the dog or cat. Is he/she an avid cyclist or runner? Perhaps he/she is addicted to coffee. Whatever your partner’s interests, you can always find something that is inexpensive (easily less than $25) but shows that you gave serious thought to the gift they can use. Some ideas include:
  • Sports Fan: Give an autographed photo of a favorite player, tickets to a game, or a combo gift with various team paraphernalia.
  • Dog/cat: Pick up some treats or toys; include ‘coupons’ for a dog wash/ grooming (that you’ll do yourself) as well as a coupon for “pet sitting” or dog walking when your significant other needs a hand.
  • Cyclists/runners: Look for small, less expensive accessories such as gloves, biking shorts, gadgets for the bike.
  • Coffee connoisseurs: Stop by a make-your-own pottery store and paint/decorate a personalized coffee mug. Drop in to a local coffee shop and select a variety of coffees and biscotti.

Just because things are economically tough doesn’t mean that you can’t thrill your partner this holiday season with something unique. Don’t wait until the last minute and find yourself running through a mall searching everywhere for something. Even though your gift may not be the ‘shiniest’ or most expensive, your partner will love the thought and time that went into creating something special.