Interesting Birthday Idea: Take a Trip Instead of Exchanging Gifts

My husband and I stopped exchanging gifts for our birthdays. What we do now is so much better.

One year we decided that instead of buying gifts for each other, we would put the money towards an upcoming trip.

We ended up having an amazing time and are left with this fantastic lifelong memory.

Below are some specific ideas of how to use the extra money towards a memorable vacation with your significant other followed by ideas how to celebrate each other on your birthdays without exchanging gifts.

Quote, “Creating beautiful and lasting memories is more valuable than anything that can be bought in a store” with view of motions out of a plane window.

Ideas how to put the money towards a memorable vacation instead of exchanging gifts

There are so many great ways to use the extra money on a wonderful vacation experience. You can plan a simple weekend getaway or use the money to enhance an upcoming trip. My husband and I try to take at least one vacation a year. We combine our birthday money to put towards that trip. Here are a few ways to do that.

Make a fancy dinner reservation

Book another excursion – This year we are using the money on our upcoming trip to Hawaii to do a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast!

Go to the resort spa

Upgrade the hotel room

Stay an extra night

Start a vacation fund – Add the money that you would have spent on gifts to it every year until you save enough to take a dream vacation.

The Mirage hotel and pool with palm trees and waterfalls over poolside rock formations — Weekend trip to Vegas

scattered palm trees and umbrellas on a sandy beach with turquoise water — Weekend trip to Vegas

How to celebrate without exchanging gifts

A simple and inexpensive birthday celebration can still make your loved one feel special. Here are a few ways to celebrate on their birthday without store bought gifts.

Bake them a cake – Make their favorite cake and sing happy birthday. It has become a tradition for the kids and I to bake a Reese’s poke cake for my husband on his birthday every year. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you’ll love this cake! Find the recipe here.

Have the kids make birthday cards – Homemade birthday cards from the kids are the sweetest. Get a memory box to save all the cards over the years.

Write a love letter – Tell your significant other all the things you love about them or recall some of your favorite memories together or dreams for the future.

Set up a date night

Have your closest family and friends over for drinks and appetizers

Set up a romantic dinner at home – A fancy meal, candles and a bottle of wine will set the mood for a romantic dinner together.

Make their favorite meal – My husband loves beef wellington so I surprised him with homemade individual beef wellingtons on his birthday this year. Find the recipe here. Even without the mushroom sauce, it was delicious! I recommend using a cast iron skillet to sear the fillets. I use this Lodge skillet and it works great!