Getting your wife a cheap but thoughtful present

When you’re at a loss, your wife always tells you that you can get her jewelry or flowers. With the number of events that require a present these days, those two options can get kind of stale for the gift buyer and for the gift receiver. So, how do you get creative, especially on a budget, when it’s time to deliver?

Give to charity. For some spouses, they are the charity. But for others, giving to their favorite organization in their name can be kind of cool. Getting some of your friends to give, too, would push her over the edge. And some companies do a match, too. During the office holiday gift-giving season this year (gifts $5 or less), I suggested Victory Junction Gang. Make it a good one, though. Lottery tickets just won’t do.

Give her some alone time. Especially if you have kids, giving your spouse a “free pass” to hang out with friends or take a mental health break will reap rewards for you, too. What is she gonna say when you head out for poker night?

Give her provocative books. A gift certificate says, “I know you like to read and I’m just a little to sorry to figure it out, so you do it.” If you’re a good hubby, you know what she’s interested in. Make the effort to search the Web, or, God forbid, actually ask someone at a store what they’d recommend.

Cook her dinner. Or if you can’t cook, find a great restaurant or caterer that can whip up something for the two of you. Make it a late dinner if you’ve got kids so you can enjoy a nice bit of conversation. Have some wine. Oh, go ahead. You’re home with no place to go. Have a lot of wine! Clean up later. Much later.

Write her something. Writing is underestimated. When done with true feeling, it can be stimulating and enlightening. I say this ’cause we’re a family of writers. But slipping her notes here and there, telling her how you feel throughout the week leading up to an event, such as Mother’s Day, can create a sense of anticipation. And don’t disappoint! Tell her a story of one of the best days you two have ever had together or what you remember of your first date or the day you proposed. I proposed three times, at a Bats game when we first started dating; in my Dad’s car in the parking lot behind where Ben & Jerry’s used to be; and in her first house right after she’d gotten out of the shower. She said yes the third time. More on these proposals some other day.

These are just a few ideas. I gave my wife some alone time today. She’s got a girls’ night out, and I’ve got four little girls, our two and their friends, to keep me company. Well, they’re keeping each other company and I’m on the computer.

But for Susan’s present(s), I did cheat on the buying part a little. I really got her a …