Trying to find the perfect gift for your significant other at Valentine’s Day can add a lot of stress to your life. You want to find something that is meaningful, within your budget and will also help to create a memory. Whether you are buying a Valentine’s Day gift for your girlfriend or boyfriend, husband or wife, the task can be equally difficult. And when you tack on the fact that you almost forgot that Valentine’s Day was near, you are in for a severe stress-induced headache.

When it comes to making the day memorable you might want to steer clear from the generic Valentine’s Day gifts that are put out on store shelves year after year. Listen to the hints that your significant other leaves you before the holiday arrives. Put some thought into the gift if your significant other puts a lot of significance on the day. The more meaningful that your gift is the better his or her reaction will be and they will treasure the gift and thoughtfulness that you put into the gift.

Just because it is stereotypical to purchase jewelry for women, does not mean that it would be the perfect gift for the gal in your life. Not all women wear a lot of jewelry, so taking out a small loan to purchase a necklace or bracelet would not be beneficial to your wallet; although she would like it, it just would not be the meaningful gift she had anticipated. Jewelry should be given as a special gift not just because the current holiday has been made into a day when everyone is giving jewelry to their wives and girlfriends. Think about what your wife or girlfriend likes and get something in that area. If she likes to read and has been wanting a book from her favorite author, get it for her or get her a gift card to the bookstore she shops at if the book is not out yet. For those who are harder to buy for it may take some thinking on the part of their boyfriend or husband. For instance you may consider surprising a wife with a kid free day or a girlfriend with a weekend away from it all at one of her favorite destinations.

For men it can be harder for their wives or girlfriends to shop for them. Knowing that their significant other is getting them something may make the experience even more difficult. Typically it seems like Valentines’ Day gifts are aimed at women and their wants and for men there is generally an over abundance of whimsical novelty gifts. But by knowing the likes of the man in your life will really help in choosing the right gift for him. If he is an outdoor type and loves to fish then a gift card to his favorite outdoor sporting goods store would be a nice gift or actually purchasing the tackle that he has had his eye on would be a way of showing that you listen to him and want to make him happy. Another Valentine’s gift idea would be to purchase work out equipment if he has been wanting to get into better shape but lacks the motivation. And if you purchase a treadmill or other workout equipment for a husband, you ladies will also have the benefit of utilizing it as well so that you can shape up and look as good as he will.

Putting a lot of thought in a Valentines’ Day gift can result in big dividends whether you are husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend. Succumbing to the stereotypical gifts that get put out year after year can be nice if that is what your significant other likes, such as a romantic card or a box of chocolates and flowers. But if you want to go deeper and give him or her something that has meaning and will last longer, go with something that he or she will like and be able to use longer than a week or two.