I’m sure the majority of women think they are much better at buying gifts than men, but of course that’s not necessarily the case. Women are just as capable of buying bad Valentine gifts as men are. If you want to ensure that you have a great day or evening together with the special man in your life filled with love then these are presents you should avoid buying.

If you really can’t think what to buy then make sure you ask other people for their views and any ideas. Just watch out for the joker who will suggest you buy something that they know he will hate.

Fitness related items

Unless he is a lover of sport or fitness (in which case he probably would prefer to buy anything he needs for himself) don’t buy anything related to fitness. Just like you wouldn’t appreciate receiving anything that implies you might need to lose weight nor would he.

Vouchers

C’mon girls. Vouchers just aren’t very imaginative. As many men dislike shopping they won’t appreciate receiving vouchers so they can buy what they want. Make the effort to find something that they really like.

Girly gifts

Okay that sounds terribly sexist but many men do not appreciate receiving flowers (for one thing they rarely own a vase) but even worse do not buy one of those teddy bears holding a red heart. No man of any age is going to appreciate the teddy bear even as a joke

Self help books

The self help book market is absolutely enormous but even if you really enjoy them they probably don’t come near the top of most men’s reading wish list. Don’t go there.

The latest video game

Unless you want to spend Valentine’s evening by yourself I wouldn’t run the risk of purchasing a video game. His attention may well get diverted elsewhere!

Clothing

Clothing is always problematic unless you are accustomed to buying all his clothes for him. Colour, fabrics, size and make can be very problematic. If he loves fashion he’s more likely to want to pick his own, if he’s not bothered he’s hardly going to be thrilled by a cashmere jumper!

Items with hearts on

Yes we know that hearts are a traditional part of Valentine’s Day, but boxer shorts with red hearts on or a tie? No. No. No. There are lots of ways that hearts can be incorporated into the day without resorting to that.

Too many presents

If you haven’t been with him for very long don’t go over the top with the present buying. You may make him run for the hills and ruin a promising relationship.

Summary

These are just a few examples of things that you should avoid buying for Valentine’s Day. There are others. If you’re really not sure what to buy, especially if you haven’t known each other very long ask male friends or colleagues who you can rely on to give you a sensible answer. Good luck.