Valentine’s Day gifts under US$50 for you and your loved one

After a typical bank-breaking holiday season, pricey Valentine’s Day gifts may not be at the forefront of your mind or priorities. But you and your loved one should be. Luckily, cheap Valentine’s Day gifts under US$50 exist.

Your love language might not be gift-giving, but we all deserve a material treat now and then. Plus, depending on the gift, you can turn it into a way to spend quality time together. So why not pick up a little something for yourself or your partner to celebrate February 14?

From twists on classic gifts like chocolate and a bouquet to more personalized items, we’ve compiled a list of Valentine’s Day gifts under US$50. Of course, cheap doesn’t have to mean low quality. And with that, celebrate your self-love, relationship, family or friends this February with something for everyone on this special day.

For the beauty

Affordable clean beauty is perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift. Let’s get real for a minute. The average American consumer spends quite a bit on beauty products and routines (anywhere from US$200 to upward of US$300 each month, according to a study conducted by OnePoll for Groupon).

If you or your loved one drool over a new skin care or makeup product, check out Auraïha, a Canadian small business that takes a hybrid approach to your skin. If you budget for your beauty routine, Auraïha is for you.

They wrap skin care and makeup into one to give your skin a nourished gleam. With sustainable packaging and natural ingredients, Auraïha offers two Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified products.

The Glass Face Brightening Serum comes in at only US$22.99. The gentle exfoliant has incredible moisturizing properties to give your skin a beautiful glow. Made with squalane, AHA fruit acids, green tea, cucumber and aloe, you can apply the brightening serum in the morning and before bed. Apply after washing and cleansing your face for the best results. It gives such an amazing glow that you might even feel confident enough to ditch other cosmetics like foundation and highlighter.

The US$19.99 Naturally Luminous Mist and Set Spray blows other trendy sprays out of the water. While you might find another spray less expensive, Auraïha’s mist and set spray will last longer, hydrate thoroughly and improve your skin’s gleam. Plus, you can rest easy knowing Auraïha doesn’t have a questionable track record when it comes to transparency and all-natural ingredients.

Want both? Get the bundle for US$39.99. Why throw money at an overpriced industry when you can achieve a natural glow from two affordable and clean beauty products?

For the book-lover

No, it’s not a book. That would be too obvious, although a reader rarely rejects a book as a gift. The ideal cheap Valentine’s Day gift for the bibliophile in your life might just be a personalized library stamp.

Cheaper than a book embosser and more creative than another New York Times bestseller, a library book stamp will add a flair to your significant other’s collection. Nothing beats opening one of your favorite books to find “from the library of [insert your name] accompanied by a cute or sophisticated design on one of the first pages.

And where better to find a personalized Valentine’s Day gift than Etsy? Check out the nice selection of library stamps in FallForDesign’s shop. Each stamp generally runs around US$30, give or take. Popular design options include a snake adorned with stars and roses, some books and feather pens, a floral flourish and more.

For the film buff

What else to get but Enno Vatti’s 100 Movies Scratch Off Poster? Hopefully, your Valentine hasn’t already knocked out all 100 of them. (If they have, props to them and their screen).

Doubling as a fun art piece to hang on your wall and a method of tracking your movie bucket list, this poster is one of our favorite cheap Valentine’s Day gifts, at just under US$30. Film fanatics will dive in with gusto, so be prepared for a lot of classic movie marathons.

Don’t worry; critics don’t just adore these movies. Fans love them, too. Films include “Star Wars,” “The Matrix,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Monster’s Inc.,” “Titanic” and more. Each art piece inspired by the film is original.

For the foodie

We’ve curated a couple of different options for your favorite foodie. Everyone has different taste buds, even self-proclaimed adventurous eaters. The snacker and lover of Asian munchies will obsess over Bokksu’s Japanese snack box subscription, which includes 20-24 snacks, candies and teas along with a culture guide magazine that describes each product, its origins and flavors. Choose from a 3-month subscription for US$44.95, a 6-month subscription for US$42.95 and a yearlong subscription for US$39.95. Support a family business in Japan while feeding your foodie.

If they’re not a snacker, but they love to make hearty seasonal meals, check out Two Tumbleweeds’ foodie dice for US$24. Your foodie will never fret over what to make for dinner again. With over 186,000 possible combinations to inspire culinary craft, the dice set includes five main dice (protein, cooking method, grain or carb, herb and bonus ingredient) with five seasonal vegetable dice. The set also includes vegan and vegetarian options! So whip up a romantic Valentine’s Day meal with your new creative cooking tool.

For the outdoor adventurer

Outdoor sports can be expensive, but your gift doesn’t have to be. Opt for a backpack to take on idyllic hikes with your significant other. You can even schlep it along on a Valentine’s Day hike – weather permitting, of course.

Check out REI’s top-rated, ultralight Flash 18 pack at US$39.95. Every outdoorsy person needs a frameless day pack to take on adventures. Then, spend the remaining US$10 on a cute snack for your outdoorsy partner to bring on a hike.

The Flash 18 is made with eco-friendly materials officially approved by bluesign. So show your love for the planet by consuming consciously this Valentine’s Day.

For the gamer

Nothing gets a gamer going more than their Valentine expressing interest in their current on-screen obsession. Whether you want to play with them or just enable their addiction, there’s no shortage of cheap Valentine’s Day gifts for gamers. For the retro gamer, go hunting at your local antique or thrift store. You’ll be surprised by what you can unearth.

For the gamer that games so hard their virtual life bleeds into their real one, check out these personalized game character art at LoadSave on Etsy for US$34.99. This handmade item allows you to send a picture of yourself and your significant other to the creator. They then recreate you as a game character. The pixelated look is in this Valentine’s Day.

For the gender-nonconforming bae

For nonbinary baes, check out gc2b, a trans-owned company founded by designer Marli Washington. When Washington observed the poor market for chest binding, he used his background in product design and textiles to create a comfortable and safe binder.

Nothing is lovelier than embracing your Valentine and their gender. So with that, show your Valentine that you love and accept them by gifting them a gender-affirming chest binder.

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