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Valentine’s Day Gifts: Traditional vs Budget-Friendly Ideas
Traditional gifts are expensive and sometimes impractical while budget-friendly gifts such as DIY, experience dates, or a simple home-cooked dinner, are inexpensive, practical, and appreciated. And memories last longer than something you purchased from a store or online.
Because of the pandemic, a lot of us are on a tight budget and don’t have a lot of wiggle room to buy Valentine’s Day presents.
Traditional gifts are usually expensive, but they don’t have to be. Instead, consider giving something thoughtful and unique.
For example, instead of buying flowers, give them a bouquet of fresh herbs for her garden. Or, instead of buying candy, bake cookies or brownies. These perfect gifts are sure to be appreciated.
Not too many gift ideas to choose from? Leave that to us:
- What Valentine’s Day Gifts Are Budget-Friendly?
- Are Valentine’s Day Gifts Overrated?
- One of A Kind Valentines Day Alternatives
A Box of Retail Chocolate vs. Chocolate Fondue At Home
Do you love chocolate fondue or a box of chocolate? There are two ways to express love and affection using chocolate. One way is through boxes of chocolates and the other is through chocolate fondue. I’ll bet you love both! And who doesn’t love chocolate? The question is, which one should you choose for your special day?
If you want to make a lasting impression on someone this Valentine’s Day, then you’ve got to show them that you care. This year, why not surprise them with chocolate fondue instead of a box of heart-shaped chocolates? There are several reasons why fondue is better than the traditional box of chocolates.
Chocolate fondue is a delicious dessert that combines melted chocolate with cream and other ingredients. It’s also a healthier option.
The fondue pot is a special and thoughtful gift for valentine’s day, but boxes of chocolates are also very common.
Most people prefer the fondue pot because they say it makes them feel appreciated because of the effort to set it all up but fondue pots tend to cost more than boxes of chocolates.
There is also nothing wrong with sticking to the traditional box of chocolates because of its convenience and availability. The choice is up to you.
Personalized Chocolate Body Paint
Why not get your partner their very own personalized chocolate body paint to share with you on Valentine’s night, it will be the sweetest date of the year. A jar is filled with rich, luscious chocolate that, when heated as directed, transforms into a smooth ‘paint,’ while the jar is personalized with its name.
Indoor Electric Stainless Steel S’mores Maker
While camping may not be feasible in February, he may still enjoy the fun and flavor of S’mores in the comfort of their own home. An indoor electric S’mores maker has roasting forks, a heater for melting marshmallows, and extra compartments for more marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
If there is one thing that is synonymous with any camping vacation that includes a bonfire, it is delicious s'mores. But you don't have to limit your enjoyment of this chocolate and marshmallow delicacy to special occasions. The greatest s'mores makers allow you to create them whenever you want.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I read several reviews about how this machine takes a long time to heat up and doesn’t fully toast the marshmallows. Maybe those people had a defective machine, but mine works just fine. It’s fully heated in under five minutes, and that might even be too long of an estimate. If the kids are old enough to have good control over their roasting sticks, you can squeeze four marshmallows over the heating coil. I was never one to joust my marshmallow down into the fire pit while camping. I always held it higher up, so it melted through just as it developed a nice brown crust. This machine will give you exactly that. It maybe takes about 2-3 minutes. It felt totally appropriate given the fact that this is not an open flame and is meant to be a fun tabletop contraption. I purchased mine for a party we were having, but it arrived later than originally scheduled and didn’t arrive until after our party. I initially planned on returning it but decided to give it a try anyway just to see how well it worked. It’s now packed in our camping bin. So, in my opinion, this was a worthwhile purchase.” | |
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Bring s'more fun indoors and roast marshmallows to perfection over the tabletop electric flameless heater.
BPA-free
May need to hold the marshmallow a little closer for the perfect roastChocolate Greeting Cards
Why not take your Valentine’s Day card to the next level? This type of greeting card contains a hidden bar of exquisite dark chocolate with a smooth sea salt caramel center, these greeting cards are just the right amount of sweetness without being sickly.
Decadent Chocolate Fondue
A hot pot of molten chocolate is the ultimate expression of decadence. For dipping fruit, cakes, or whatever else you can think of, these Belgian beauties have sea salt and a raspberry chocolate sauce! There is no need for additional equipment because they are heated in their own stoneware container.
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Nothing surpasses a chocolate fountain at a party, wedding, or any other gathering. They're the most eye-catching approach to creating a treat with global appeal. Prepare some fruit slices or unwrap some marshmallows and stick them on toothpicks before dipping them in the runny chocolate. This level of luxury was formerly reserved for the most exclusive of occasions, the Sephra Elite Chocolate Fountain for Home. Variety, durability, dishwasher safety, and food quality plastic layers are just a few benefits of the Sephra CF18L Classic Home Fountain. This is essentially an industrial-quality fountain that makes the chocolate flow smoothly by using an auger rather than a pump. It takes at least four pounds of chocolate to start it going, and it may take up to six pounds in total, making it ideal for big groups. This fountain heats up so quickly that you don't need to pre-melt the chocolate as many other devices do. It's also adaptable enough to make caramel, cheese, and even ranch dressing flow like a river. It's also the quietest machine here, with only the on/off controls for the heat and motor. If you want to host many parties, the Sephra CF18L is the finest alternative to a specialized commercial-only unit. | |
WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I recently just bought the Sephra Classic home fondue fountain, and I would recommend it because this product was worth the price. I use the chocolate fountain for the fruit/candy table I provide for my clients. To catch people's attention with the table, the main attraction that draws people in is the chocolate fountain. This fountain does an amazing job of standing out, being easy to assemble, and having no motor noise and capacity.
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Chocolate Melting Pot Set
This electric fondue set is ideal for dipping fruits, sweets, and even fingers into smooth melted chocolate for a delightful treat this holiday season. Anyone will tell you that chocolate makes things better, and you’ll find yourself becoming very fond of this gift.
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If you use any of the many different types of chocolate in your kitchen, you should look into this collection of chocolate melting pots. They've all been designed with the express objective of melting chocolate rapidly and simply with minimum mess. This Cuisinart CFO-3SS 3-Quart Electric Fondue Pot set routinely ranks as one of the top electric fondue sets on the market, and our testing confirmed this. It can handle enough chocolate for a generous round of candy making or a fondue party for eight people. It's beautiful and sophisticated, made of brushed stainless steel with a nonstick liner. The electric heating element is located at the bottom of the pot, and our tester was impressed with how fast and evenly it heated up on all heat levels. In fact, it was so simple to use that our reviewer noted it's ideal for people who wish to make fondue a daily occurrence. The temperature controls provide a wide range of settings, and the set includes a temperature probe. For simple cleanup, the entire item is dishwasher safe. The set comes with eight fondue forks as well as a recipe book. | |
WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“This fondue pot is very nice. It holds eight skewers of food; we cooked assorted veggies like mushroom, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion, we cooked pork and beef even grilled cheese turned out amazing. The temperature settings are easy to change. And the clean-up was super easy. I would not recommend more than four people per pot. Otherwise, it would take longer and get crowded with all the food there. It made for a nice family evening.”
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Bouquet of Flowers vs. Plants for Their Garden or Greenhouse
There are lots of reasons why people have a hard time choosing from a bouquet of flowers over plants for Valentine’s Day.
For starters, potted plants last longer than a bouquet of flowers. They usually come in vases and pots, so you won’t have to worry about them withering away before the big day arrives. In addition, flowers are easier to transport, and they’ll arrive at their destination in perfect condition.
Plants are another great way to show someone how you feel. They provide beauty and fragrance throughout the entire season.
You can grow your own plants at home by starting seeds indoors or planting seedlings outdoors. You can even get a greenhouse so you can start growing your own vegetables.
Plants are often considered thoughtful gifts, but they don’t always make great gifts. But Instead, people go with bouquets of fresh flowers from a local florist because not only will the arrangement look beautiful, but it will also smell wonderful when they arrive.
We think these two options are equally great because of the mood it brings once you give them to your recipient. It’s really all about your preference and what your recipient would like better.
Rose Teddy Bear
What kind of teddy bears would they prefer? You don’t need to spend too much time searching for gifts for your partner; just get them a teddy bear made out of roses!
A beautiful rose sculpture as big as a normal-sized stuffed bear that has been crafted from hand-made flowers. You can even put it in an elegant gift box. Your partner will surely appreciate such a thoughtful gift.
Cookie Flower Pot
This Valentine’s Day Cookie Flower Pot is both adorable and romantic at the same time. If you offer him or her this bouquet of edible flowers, you’ll win their heart as well as their sweet tooth. It can also come in a silver bucket that they can reuse when they finish the yummy cookies.
Edible Bouquet
A unique flower alternative would be getting an edible bouquet for your loved one. This is also a great option for those who are allergic to flowers.
Edible bouquets are becoming more popular to give on occasion. They are also a great way to surprise someone with something delicious.
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Semisweet Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
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The passion, legacy, and future at Edible® are anchored on assisting people worldwide in celebrating life's most significant events with a gift or treat that has been thoughtfully made to WOW. Whether it's a birthday, a professional milestone, a gathering with friends and family, or simply because our selection of freshly handcrafted presents is precisely what you need to create spontaneous moments of sweetness packed with extra sweet memories and plenty of smiles!
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“It was 21 wedding anniversary 7/7/2021. My husband doesn’t do flowers, so when I got home and saw the large chocolate-covered strawberry gift wrapped with a balloon and teddy bear on the table, it was a nice surprise. It tasted so good to think we found a new treat for our special occasions. Thank you for making my anniversary a little more special. | |
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”Sunflower Garden Grow Kit
They’ll be able to produce their own sunflowers with this special kit, which is a great way to celebrate the summer season. To get your plants started, this type of kit includes a recycled egg carton, six heirloom variety seeds, and peat.
Sunflower garden kits are perfect for beginners as well as seasoned gardeners. This kit comes complete with everything needed to grow beautiful sunflowers right out of the box! All you need to do is plant them, water them regularly, and enjoy the beautiful flowers throughout the entire growing season.
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Nature's Blossom's sunflowers growing kit is an excellent present for men or women and serves as an excellent introduction to the wonderful world of home gardening.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“My wife loves sunflowers, so when I saw this kit, I couldn't resist. The price is a little steep, that's about my only complaint, though sales help with that. Plants take time to grow, so I waited to give this review until I saw some results. After planting them in mid-July, I just yesterday mentioned that some of my wife's plants were getting huge, and when she told me the biggest was the giant sunflowers, I was satisfied with my purchase. The flowers haven't bloomed yet, but the seeds took easy, started growing quickly, and became beautiful, healthy plants. I'm looking forward to seeing the sunflowers in full bloom, and I would recommend this to anyone starting a garden that loves sunflowers.”
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Plant Terrarium
With a gorgeous propagation station, you can help them take cuttings from all of their favorite plants. Get them a charming desktop-sized terrarium that features two heart-shaped containers for growing their plants, allowing them to see the roots form.
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