In 2008 it may have been the most romantic day ever, but face it, man, 2009 is the year of the big R! Sorry mates, I don't mean Romance, I mean the Recession. Now's probably not the time to splurge on that extravagant Valentines' day treat for your special girl. But with a little help from us at Element X – the alpha male zone, you may be just be able to salvage a few brownie points, even on a shoe string budget…

It's not what you do, but how you do it
The most overused line in the history of gift-giving, but it is a total truth. You may have given her a diamonds or even the moon in better times, but that doesn’t take the charm away from the little, sweeter things in life. This could be the time for a little adventure. A little effort could go a long way here, if you have a knack for the atypical.

Dig into your own treasure of talents
Rack your brains a little bit. Can you paint? Write poetry, maybe? Go out there, buy yourself a box of paints and some good material to paint on (paper, in the worst case). Thank God for abstract art and start off. Draw up a few ‘master-pieces’, get the best one framed and hope she falls for it! You may have a classic in your hands that cost you around Rs50/- if not less. The best part is, even if she hates the painting, she’ll probably adore you for the effort. Plus, poets and artists rate high on thinking women’s lust-lists…let’s just call it an added advantage if you pull it off!

Surprise her, in public
Show up unexpected at her office on the eve of Valentines’ day, with a quaint little bouquet in hand. Flowers can be expensive, especially at this time of the year, so choose carefully according to your budget. In front of the office crowd, give her the flowers, with a message on the lines of, “Of course I know it is not Valentine’s day, but I never need a reason to tell you how much I love you”. Ideally, whisk her away for a quick lunch, out of the blue. Any roadside dhaba would seem like a personal island in that mood. But a word of caution, make sure it is not a bad day at her office or she may just throw the flowers in your face. And if the timing is right, you may even get a few new admirers in her office. Every woman loves a man who can be impulsively romantic.

No anticipatory bail
She knows you have problems at work, or that you are a victim of the meltdown. But you don’t have to rub it in every now and then, feeling sorry for yourself and using it as an excuse to not spend too much on the Valentines’ gift. She may be willing to pamper you with sympathy, but believe me, that will take its toll in the future. Just calm down and give her whatever you can afford. If she’s worth your while, she’ll definitely understand and love you all the more for it.

Avoid follow up
So you finally found a gift within your budget and gave it to her. She seemed happy and made it worth your while. So let’s forget this as soon as we can, ok? Once the situation improves, maybe on the 14th of next February, don’t pester her with questions like, “Why don’t you ever wear that beads necklace I gave you last Valentine’s Day?”. She may have thrown it away for all we know, but the important thing is, she did not throw it in your face when you gave it to her. Appreciate her for understanding your circumstances and promise yourself you’ll get her something fancy to make up for it when you can...