Extra specially meaningful and brilliant yet cheap present for ace boyfriend..?

LyndsM

Hi all

My boyfriend's birthday is in a couple of months and I am utterly skint. I have had some... ummm..'emotional problems' just lately. I haven't worked for a few months and am unlikely to return for at least a while longer. We normally share bills etc but at the moment he is paying the lions share so I wouldn't feel right spending a huge amount on something as I think that would be disrespectful.
Last year, when I had a good job and some savings, I bought him one of those red letter days that he had dreamed of. (that birthday was our first year together).
He is completely ace, the most patient man on the planet, and has kept me (and the house!) going, looked after me and simply been totally wonderful.
I'd like to do, make or somehow get something for him that reflects all this while at the same time being a really good gift in the normal "woo hoo! Birthday pressies!" kind of way. (So, not me warbling on emotively in a poem. Besides, I did that last year too!:o )
I have a while to think about this, at least a couple of months, so have the luxury of time to plan anything.
Any bright ideas? Any thoughts on how to kick-start myself into thinking along the right lines?
I'm watching him like a hawk for ideas, he must think I'm more insane than usual at the moment! :rotfl:

Thanks everyone
Lynds
x

Beatrix_Kiddo

Here are some suggestions - mix, match etc:

A 'jar of promises', with either 52 or 365 promises in, along the lines of: I promise to.....wash the car, give you a massage, rub your feet, pay for dinner, cook you a gourmet meal, any saucy suggestion you may have (family site after all )

Arrange a romantic indoor picnic, in front of the fire, or in bed, or the bath- get all his favourite treats and morsels, some Sainsbury's Champers etc.

Do him a DIY pamper day, get stuff in for a facial, massage, etc.

Book 2 tickets to a comedy gig - spend as much as £35 each seeing a big name, or research in your area to see if there are any venues that do comedy nights cheaply.

Make a CD just for him.

Think boys toys, mad stuff like a kite, scalextric, etc.

Search on the internet, cheap flights really are cheap these days - how about a day out in amsterdam, paris, prague, edinburgh etc sightseeing, being tourists, have a meal etc - great memories.

Good luck!

LyndsM

Thanks! Some really good ideas
I will have to go for the £0 - £5 type options though - when I say skint, I mean reeeeeally skint - paying for a meal or a flight is completely unreachable - I'd have to use his money for it! (I am not earning anything and currently not entitled to any benefits etc. for the time being, having given up my job 'voluntarily').

Hmmm... I will have to do some very clever thinking...

Cheers
Lynds

ka7e

Firebox do some metal Love Tokens for £9.95 (+p&p) - or use their design to make your own!
They also do silver-plated Love Hearts and My Last Rolo but they are rather expensive. Wonder if a tin of spray paint and the real thing would work?!
Hawkin's Bazaar do a Perfect badge, in the shape of an old school prefect's badge, £3.59 + p&p.

ikkleosu

Is there a celeb or someone he loves why not do some letter writing and see if you can get a signed photo or something for him, something unusual he'd love?

Also is there a dream he has that you could help make come true? doe she write songs or poems or want to be an actor? could you send off somethign he's done and try and get it published for him, even if it's in a local paper? Or put him down on for an agency?

Something he's always menaing to do for himself but never does.

essexgal

Hi Lynds

You could organise a surprise party - got my hubby two years running!

You could make it bring a bottle/four-pack and do moneysaving nibbly bits (i.e. french bread, cheese, crisps- doesn't have to be a full blown catered event). If you could get hold of some of his mates he doesn't see very often and a scalectrix set/subutteo/table football he could have a boys toys party. (Just think how us girls would appreciate our bloke making the effort to organise a surprise pamper girly night with our best mates and you get the idea.....). Take lots of photos of the night, and then make him up an album/scrapbook afterwards as well. Get his mates to write down any memories of 'really good times' that they shared, embarassing moments, practical jokes they played on each other - that way he's also got a 'keepsake' to look through as well. If his mates have any photos of him when he was at school, etc even better!

The best presents don't require lots of money - it's the amount of thought and effort that makes the difference.

You say you've got a couple of months - try the free online competitions on the competitions board as well - someone's got to win and you've got just as much chance as anyone else.

Am sure he'll love whatever you decide to do for his birthday.

Essexgal

MrsTinks

Get on pigsback girl! Between now and his birthday you should be able to get some vouchers, maybe as much as £20-30 if you've not already used it they usually take 2 weeks to send out the vouchers but that should still be time to use them to go buy a treat or loads of little treats

piglet6

I think you've got some great ideas already, so just want to add my support for them - I think the "freebie" vouchers idea is lovely (I would love my OH to do something like that, despite the fact that he can afford to "pay" for presents!) - whatever vouchers you make will be totally personal to the two of you and mean so much more! :T

Also, I think Tine's idea of Pigsback is great :j - if you are not already a member, get yourself over to the Pigsback thread on the Freebies board and check out post 2 (as well as the latest threads!). You will be raking in the vouchers in no time, which will give you free cash to spend on a "proper pressie" (Boots, John Lewis/Waitrose, Arcadia, and many others!).

Keep an eye on the Freebies board - every so often you get a "I've got a £5 Amazon voucher that I won't use...does anybody want it?" type of thread, and you also get all manner of other freebie bits and pieces that you could turn into a gift.

How old is he going to be? If you're worried about freebies looking too small, can you make up a "hamper" of [however many years old he is] bits and pieces (either wrapped or not, as the fancy takes you...!), i.e. if he is 20, then 20 things, if he is 30, then 30 things, etc, etc. I'm pretty sure that with a couple of months still to go, you should be able to get hold of quite a few things for "free" which your OH will love - well done for being so organised! Its all in the planning...!

Piglet

mistresslenore

Travelodge do some rooms for £15 if you book a month in advance. Make it a cheap romantic get away, might do you some good too! When the weather picks up you could go somewhere in the countryside and have a nice picnic together.
Also, getting his favourite song played on the radio with a dedication?

LyndsM

Thanks again everyone, sorry for delay in replying but I couldn't because - guess what... he took me away for the weekend..! (everybody say "Aaaaaah" and place your orders now for when I have him cloned)
Freebie hamper sounds really good - he does like his freebies - so I will start collecting things now. I'll have a look on Pigsback/related threads and see what that's all about too.
Cheers!
Lynds

jago25_98

Exclusively girl response?

Boy answer: Get something from toysRus, do something saucy (cancel that, I mean dirty and haven't done before), cook a fancy meal, get something that does something useful, think logic not just emotion

Have a good one