Every Valentine’s Day when you walk down the hallway you see the same thing: people carrying bouquets of flowers, chocolates and large teddy bears. This year you can break out of the heart-shaped mold by giving a unique gift that will be treasured for a long time.

Card book (52 things I love about you)

The art of doing nice things for others has gone downhill in recent years. Receiving a unique gift from someone is a pleasant surprise. To celebrate a day of love and companionship you can make a ‘book’ remembering all the good times you have had with the person you are writing to. The best part about this gift is that for the broke high school student it is doable. If you go to Walmart, a deck of cards can be purchased for $3. Once you have the cards you can use colored paper to cover the numbers. After that, 52 things that you like about that person should be written on the side of the card covered in paper. To finish it all off, punch a hole at the top of each card and tie them together with a colorful bow.

Perfect date night

Valentine’s Day is a day that most couples go out together for dinner or a movie. A date night is fun for couples, but even if you aren’t in a relationship you can still celebrate with friends. Getting dinner reservations can be difficult and expensive; instead put together a night at one of your houses. Make dinner or simply order take-out and have a game night or watch a movie. If you want to make it special pick a movie you have seen with your friends before.  These can help you to remember some of the best times you have had together. The best part about spending a night at home is that it doesn’t have to cost anything for you to have a great time.

Unique Stuffed Animal

A really overdone gift for Valentine’s Day is stuffed bears. They are cute, but something a little more personal would make them better. Everyone has a favorite animal, and nearly every animal is made as a stuffed animal. Someone is more likely to hold on to something that has a meaning. If you go to the Kroger Marketplace you can find stuffed animals for around $10.

Themed gift bag

Making a gift bag is a great way to show a friend or your significant other how well you know them. For a movie fan a basket including favorite candy, popcorn and a movie could be a great gift. For someone who enjoys relaxing, a basket including stress relief candles, a good book and hot chocolate could set them up for a rainy day. To make any basket you need to figure out something that fits the person you have in mind. A good bag includes three to four items that go together to form a basic theme. Some themes could be a movie night, relaxation, art, sports or food. Simply go to Walmart to put together this great gift for around $20.

Key chain / simple jewelry

Getting someone jewelry is one of the most common ways of celebrating a relationship. Jewelry is nice, but usually costs a lot of money.  A necklace or bracelet is a great gift if you go to the right place. For something less expensive for a friend who drives, a key chain would be a great gift. You can personalize the keychain for your significant other. A date, picture or another symbol of your relationship can be part of the key chain.  Online stores like Amazon or Etsy offer these kinds of gifts for $20 to $40.