He’s the forgotten hero of this holiday. The pressure is perhaps only equaled by an anniversary present. Even a Christmas or birthday gift pales in comparison to the implication of a man’s gift for a woman on Valentine’s Day. She wants a gift that has meaning. It is never easy to find a gift that signifies a husband’s feelings for his wife. Sure, the jewelry companies will tell you that a diamond is the only way, but unless she has already picked it out the male gift giver will take the chance of spending half his paycheck of something she doesn’t really like anyway.

On the other hand, the husband or boyfriend asks for little on Valentine’s Day. There need not be any meaning in his gift. It can simply be something that he can use or something that makes his life easier. Perhaps his gift could be foregoing gifts for that Valentine’s Day and simply having a nice dinner out. Nevertheless, if gifts must change hands on February 14th, then here are some great ideas for the man in your life.

A wife may balk at a new vacuum cleaner for Valentine’s Day, but a husband will never be disappointed by a new shopvac. Perhaps he already has a full-size one for big clean-ups then get him a small handheld wet/dry shopvac he can easily take out to the car or boat. Whether buying a large or small shopvac, make sure it can handle either wet or dry cleanups. Anything to enhance his quality time in the garage is a safe gift.

Whether they admit it or not, most men dream of being self-reliant. Even if they are not some environmental wacko they still love the idea of going off the grid. Most of us are not about to put solar panels on our roofs or wind turbines in our front yards, but we would like to perhaps partake in some enjoyment of our own making. That enjoyment can be found in a home brew kit. Do a little research to find a kit that can be used for making everything from beer and wine, to homemade soda and sarsaparilla. Treat him nice and he’ll let you imbibe in his first batch – if you dare.

In every relationship there is something that the man loves, but the women either can’t understand or despises outright. Perhaps he loves a certain cult classic movie that you can’t stand to watch. Perhaps he loves watching professional bowling and you would rather watch the latest episode of Gray’s Anatomy. Buy him a ticket to whatever floats his boat and send him on his way. He won’t be offended that you don’t want to attend and would rather enjoy himself more going with a buddy who shares his warped sense of a good time.

The most important thing to remember is that most men see Valentine’s Day as an obligation. We love anniversaries because they mark an accomplishment – there is reason and meaning behind the gifts we give our significant others. This Valentine’s Day you can bet he’s buying you a gift so etiquette does suggest that you give something in return. Any of the above gifts should make him happy come February 14th.