14 Days of Husband Valentines on a Budget

Normally at the end of the month, I think about how quickly time has flown and how much stuff I didn't get done the previous month.

But it's February, and I've been waiting for February to get here forever, because I'm in charge of our Valentine's Day this year, and I'm going to make it awesome. You see, usually, my husband is the Master of Romance, and no matter what holiday it is, he always seems to outdo me. I'll get him something pathetic, like a movie he only semi-wants to watch, and he'll buy me a spa package, rent sound equipment and get his buddies to surprise serenade me, or find a good deal on a weekend getaway.

That jerk.

Obviously, all those things cost a pretty chunk of cash. We've got two kids now, plus one on the way, so the name of the game is Awesomeness-Through-Frugality. Well, he's in for a surprise, because this year I'm doing 14 days of little surprises, from now until Valentine's Day. They aren't crazy expensive (some of them are free), but they are thoughtful and take a teensy bit of planning.

Here they are! My 14 Days of Valentines aren't in any particular order. Maybe you can get some ideas for your special someone, too!

1. Note of appreciation: In this note, I will focus mainly on telling him how grateful I am for him as a husband, father, provider, etc. This will be one of my first Valentines, to start off slow. I don't want him to know this is going to be a daily thing yet.

2. Favorite "special" beverage at home: Every guy has their favorite beverage that they only get on special occasions. My husband's favorite is fancy root beer. If it's in a can, it's no good. We're lucky to have a BevMo close by with a ton of specialty root beer options.

5. Favorite "special" snack: My Valentine has certain dietary restrictions that make every day snacks a little out of our price range. I usually stick to a few budget-friendly items, but for this day I'm going to leave a little "snack attack" in his work bag to surprise him.

4. Note of love: Different from the appreciation note, this one will focus on what I love about the guy. Maybe I'll bring up the first time I knew that I loved him, or something along those lines. You can see I have this well-thought out.

5. Another surprise in his bag: Sorry this isn't original, but he could really use two days of this.

6. Inexpensive new card game: If you're married with kids, you know how easily you can get stuck in the rut of dinner, dishes, bed time routine, then hit the TV, night after night after night. So, for this day, I'm going to get an interesting-looking game at Walmart or Target and host a couple's game night, in lieu of our normal routine.

7. Framed family picture: He's not one to collect clutter on his desk at work (or at home), but he would like a framed picture of his family. I'm just typically too lazy of a wife to order one picture at Costco and go pick it up. I live in a world where romance is all relative.

8. Notes from our boys: Of course, they've got to do their part.

9. Chocolate dipped strawberries: This is my husband's favorite Valentine's-specific dessert. It's so simple, but, boy, does he love those things. I'll probably make them while he's at work and have them waiting for him.

10. Song from iTunes: This is one of my favorite ideas. My guy loves music and knows a lot about it. I enjoy music, but I don't know nearly as much as he does. So, with a little research, I'm going to purchase a lovey-dovey song that he doesn't already have and send it to him.

11. Do a "man" job for him: For us, this means washing the car. This guy is an anti-clutter, neat and tidy, put-everything-we-haven't-used-in-a-day-on-Craigslist nut. So having the car clean on the inside and out makes his heart sing.

12. Chocolate delivery: There's a fancy chocolate place that delivers close by to where he works. They deliver for free within a certain distance. Awesome! I'd do flowers, but I wouldn't want to embarrass him in front of his work buddies.

13. Date night: Obviously, one of the more expensive days, but it's a given.

14. Family Valentine's dinner, complete with heart-shaped sugar cookies: My kids love Valentine's Day, too, and I keep telling them we'll use those heart-shaped cookie cutters on Valentine's Day. It's gotta happen.

It's obvious that my man's heart lies within his stomach, with all the consumables he'll be getting as Valentine's. And even though my Valentine isn't into golf, guns, or gluten, it is still possible to tell him I'm thinking about him this Valentine's Day.

Robin