You could...

- Cut up a bunch of little slips of paper and write things like "1 Free Blowjob" on it and "Will Do Your Laundry" and "Boys Night Out With No Complaining From Women" stuff like that, like coupons for things he might want that you can do. Colour on them and give them to him by hole punching each of them and tying them with a ribbon. You could invest a few dollars into getting a little blank notebook and drawing them in there so its like giving him a relationship coupon book and after he uses a coupon you rip it out.

- Download a bunch of free songs off of limewire etc and burn him a CD with his favorite songs on it, or songs to have sex to, or songs that remind you of your relationship together etc etc.

- Go to the thrift store, flea market etc etc and see if there is something cheap there that he might like.

- Make his birthday card out of scrap paper. Write how you feel for him on the inside of it and look online for a funny joke to draw on the front.

For what to do during the actual birthday make him dinner and go for a picnic at one of your favorite parks or throw a small birthday party for him with all of his best friends a get them to bring all of the food and beer. Like a pot-luck birthday party!

You dont need to spend alot of money to show him how much he means to you. If he is as great as you say then he'll understand the lack of expensive gifts. Good luck!

"Don't fall for someone who's not willing to catch you"

Just sign up for another credit card. They don't really ask for the money for at least 30 days after you get it right?

lol dont go into MORE debt just so you can buy your boyfriend something! I was student and now I'm in tons of debt because of student loans and my credit card. Find something cheap to do and save your money to pay off the loans you already have!

"Don't fall for someone who's not willing to catch you"

I think Fallen85's coupon slips are a good idea. A potluck picnic is also a good idea. Are there any places in your city where you can see live music for free? That might be cool too (also check out coffee shops and book stores that may have acoustic, singer-songwriter shows... as well as your local university). If your boyfriend is interested in history, many histocial sites and museums are not very expensive. You could also make him a photo album or scrap book. Also, some places have dance lessons that aren't expensive. Also, many places have cheap or free events going on during the summer, like small festivals. There are tons in my area all summer long (maybe that's just because I live in New Orleans), but I'm sure other places have summer festivals as well. Good luck with this, and I'm sure your boyfriend will appreciate whatever you decide to give him. Just be creative, and try to keep his hobbies/interests in mind.

You should make something, go to the thrift shop and put something together. Go online for ideas or browse through barnes and noble. i used to have this problem with buying something for my mom on mother's day and christmas.

NO MORE CREDIT CARDS! ... mmm..that was the worst advice...ever!

You don't have to spend a ton of $$ to make him feel special...have a home cooked meal, rent a movie or borrow a new movie from someone...give him a romantic "massage" and go from there...if you still feel bad about not spending $ on him give him and I.O.U. for a different night when you have more to spare.

You've gotten some excellent ideas so far.

Also, you can bake him a birthday cake, like in his favorite flavor. Get birthday candles, so he can make a wish. I believe birthday wishes always come true.

Yeah, don't go into MORE debt for him! If he's a good guy like you say, I bet he would feel really bad if you did. Unfortunately, though, I've never heard of anyone actually redeeming the "coupons," as cute as they are. I think the key is simply to make sure he feels remembered, acknowledged, loved, etc., on his special day. Balloons from the dollar store, breakfast in bed, a long back/foot rub, a potluck dinner with friends, a $4 bottle of "California Champagne" from Target -- things like this can go a long way in a making the day feel special without forcing you into more debt.

I made a video of myself stripping for my boyfriend once. He LOVED it. I felt like a total idiot, and the video is more goofy than sexy (well... I guess no, it's kinda sexy!) but it wasn't poor taste and he was so happy to have it every time we weren't together. Hm. TMI, sorry! But you get my drift!

I also made him a scrapbook with all the pictures of us kissing or hugging that I had, and cut off pieces of our notes and emails that said "I love you" or other sweet words.

If he has a favorite TV show, you can download a whole season of it (like the first season!) on tvtorrents.com or other tv torrent site, and make him a couple of DVDs. I don't think it's actually illegal to download syndicated TV...

You seem to be really crazy about him and you talk about him in a wonderful way; you could write him a long poem (without having to go all out on the literary words, metaphors and cheesy phrasing) to express all of that to him.

You can cook him a romantic or fun dinner, whatever kind of guy he is - if you need great recipes, don't hesitate to private message me (I'm a great cook and I know tons of really cool, easy, cheap recipes!).

And of course, you could throw him a huge surprise party with all of his friends - and have them all bring food and drinks so it doesn't cost you too much.

Or - you could do ALL OF THAT! Submerged by little attentions, he will never know that you barely spent anything, he'll be super delighted. Love isn't about money!

How about a nice pick-nick with home made food and a birthday cake? Is there somewhere near where you live, a lake, the beach or a nice park? where you can go for the afternoon? then at home you can give him a nice massage, give him his favorite drink and well, you can imagine the rest...
I think a special day like that is better then just more 'stuff'.

If you can't afford a big, expensive gift, your man should understand. I'm sure your finances have come up with him before so he won't be completely blown back by it.

I think there were a lot of good ideas up there: the IOU slips, making his cake, etc. Or find a clever way to tell him what you'd like to get for him when you have to money (if you had a particular gift in mind.)

You could do a scavenger hunt - with the last clue leading to a bath/massage session or dinner, etc.! I did a scavenger hunt for the first birthday my boyfriend and I celebrated together (that is, his birthday) and he loved it ... I hid clues around our college, in book shelves in the library, etc. and it ended up leading him to his shower where I had gotten some super cute bath stuff and massage oils

I assumed it was obvious that my post was a complete joke. I'm sad that I have to write in to say that.

you have some really great suggestions here. however, you fail to mention what your boyfriend is like. it is hard to give gift suggestions for someone you don't know. however, i think that you mainly feel discouraged because you cannot afford an extravagant gift. if he's a sweet person, i'm sure he'll appreciate anything you do. if he works on his birthday, make him breakfast in bed and send him off to work with a spicy happy birthday note tucked into a pocket. if you don't work that day, why not take care of some errands for him--dry cleaning, maybe some household chores (you really shouldn't have to clean or anything on your birthday) surprise him by looking smoking hot with a home cooked meal on the table (surf around the internet for some new recipes that would agree with his palate) after you impress him with your culinary skills--or lack thereof (even if it doesn't turn out perfectly, he'll still be impressed i'm sure) take him to the bedroom where underneath your clothes you're wearing something special and use your imagination from there.

if he doesn't work---maybe he would like to do something adults don't normally do---go for a leisurely bike ride to a park, fly a kite, have a picnic----as someone who has a summer birthday, i know i love to spend my day outside doing things that take my mind off of my adult responsibilities.

good luck and just remember not to fret about money, it will just hinder you from enjoying time with the man you love.

Take a sexy picture of your self print it off on a computer. Buy a cheap frame at the dollar store and hide it under his pillow! Then get him a cheap card and send him on a hunt to find the sexy picture with another note (attached with the picture) that sends him to the lingeri you could wear under your outfit! I did that as a valentines present and he loved it!

as someone mentioned the potlock idea, i think you organizing a party for him with friends and/or family (or even coworkers if he likes them) would be great, whether or not its a surprise, just do the organization work, and make a cake and a sentimental/personalized card for him. you could also buy a small frame for a photo of you guys, of his pet or of him on vacation or something, and wrap it up prettily. thats what i would do if i had little extra money and wanted to go all out.

I understand the lame birthday thing, because my birthday last week was horrible. My own dad didn't even tell me happy birthday, nor did most of my family. My beau didn't have much cash, but he spent the evening with me and we ordered from Pizza Hut. It meant the world just knowing someone gave a damn and remembered me. I'm sure that whatever you do, he'll really appreciate it. The ladies here have already left tonnes of great suggestions. Good luck, doll.

I don't have much money either and my boyfriend knows that, so he doesn't expect me to do anything really expensive for him. For his birthday this year, I made him dinner and baked him cupcakes. I made a really cheap dinner, it was just a baked pasta dish and a box of cake mix is super inexpensive. I probably spent less than $20 total on his b-day, but we had a nice time and he appreciated it

-Throw him a party with friends and have everyone bring a food/drink
-Do something that's not easy that he'll appreciate (ex: my boyfriend baked me a heart-shaped cake from scratch for Valentine's Day and he had never done it before)
-Look online to see if there's something going on in your town for free that he'd like
-Since the weather's nice, go outside and have a day in the park or something
-Is there something he's wanted you to try or learn? (My boyfriend would die from happiness if I learned about Alexander the Great and was able to have a knowledgeable conversation about it with him)

Good luck! And remember to have fun whatever you do!

i've gone through the same thing and i can say that there are some great ideas here!
i agree with an above poster that said to use your boyfriend's interests and be creative from that. if your guy is into food you can try a cheaper alternative or spin on one of his favorite recipes. my bf is a video game guy, so for his birthday last year i had been secretly learning one of his favorite games at my friend's house and challenged him to a round. he was so surprised and we had a great time playing together. if you are feeling crafty you could always search around your house and find little nick-knacks and words and pictures from old magazines that remind you of him and make a collage or picture frame. work with what you have, if you guys live in a metro area, take a day to explore and look for unique free or cheap activities you guys could do. if you are like me and live in a more quiet area, parks are a nice place to consider, you could make a scavenger hunt, play catch, have a picnic, etc.

it sounds like you guys really care about each other, so i'm sure as long as you put love into whatever you give him, big or small, he will appreciate it

Make a nice dinner - get a frozen shrimp pasta mix to stir-fry, a simple salad and some french bread. You can get a great bottle of wine for $3 if you have a Trader Joe's nearby. Homemade strawberry shortcake is simple and cheap to make.

Before then, go online and learn how to give a great massage. After a nice dinner and dessert, give him a great massage so he can wind down.

Aw, sounds like he is really important to you. I would do all the little things like breakfast in bed, dinner and a massage, but I would also write him a letter or even a card that is really thoughtful and expresses how great you think he is and how much you appreciate him.

check out craigslist for free stuff or ebay for cheap stuff

I love fallen85s ideas. Great food and a sexy evening will be more personal than a gift. The coupon idea is good. My boyfriend liked it. Get on the search this site for light finger food so that you are not to knackered from a heavy meal.

I am in this exact same situation! Luckily it looks like I will have a job very shortly but pennies are still tight! I owe HIM money because we live together and so any presents I buy will be a little bittersweet.

I have bought my boyfriend a t-shirt (threadless.com have some $10 sales sometimes!) and will be baking him an uber brownie chocolate cake for his birthday cake. So he can spend his birthday thanking me for his type 2 diabeetus.

Since it's his first birthday with us together I don't feel I need to go all out. I hope he knows that as soon as I have money I'll spoil him rotten and I think you just need to ensure your boyfriend knows you aren't just being cheap for the hell of it. I can totally sympathise with being at the bottom of your credit card - I have been for a while and when I tell my mother this she tells me that I should take a holiday to relax. I'm like... which bit of BROKE don't you understand?

Hopefully your boyfriend will be understanding of your plight and love his gifts all the same!

There was one time I was unemployed and I was totally broke. It was my husband's birthday. Since I know how to paint , I made him a card, and a painting, baked cookies and bought a cheap white plain shirt which I did some painting of his fave guitar.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"

popgoestheworld, I laughed at your post (I thought it was a joke too)

When I'm broke I bake something for my bf, and I personalize it for him (make it heart-shaped and draw silly things on it with frosting) and give him a home-made card that lets him know I'll be treating him to a nice dinner or something WHEN I've got the money. He loves it!

Pop, i got the joke, because the first thing i thought was "do your bf a favor and spend down that debt" having a low paying job is no excuse to go into debt. and neither are birthdays.

Make him dinner and do a striptease.

What you could do is get some fabric and cut out a heart shape. My boyfriend is a basketball player so i got fabric with basketballs all over it. Also I took my boyfriend out to eat, he got to pick the spot. I thought about it but I was to busy to be able to get it done, go to a hardware store and get a key ingraved with Heart on it, so it symbolizes a key to your heart. Also we hung out at my house and watched a couple movies and cuddled up on the couch. The last thing i did was i made a CD with a bunch of pictures of us together from huge events and stuff and put it to the first song we kissed to on our first date. He loved it!

DO something for him. If you have food in your house make him some dinner, watch a movie that you already own and play games or spend some quality time together. There is no reason why you can't have fun and enjoy his day without spending money. I'm sure he'll understand.

Make a blog about him or the two of you!....add photos and messages from his friends and family, write stories, good memories and keep updating it after the birthday ends! I will be something he'll treasure a long time and it's completely free...

If you're worried about privacy issues you can adjust the blog's setting so only the two of you can see it

try a great free art gallery, a picnic, a great night together. I also once found a great gift printed it out and gave to my bf with a IOU and told him he would have the gift one day soon. Four months later I left it on the bed with a note and he loved it.

My friend told me this story about a friend of hers from uni. She broke into her boyfriends flat and put candles and flowers in his room and put on her nicest lingerie and waited for him to get home. You could cook dinner aswell. Use the food from his house/your house and use existing candles and under wear and it won't cost you a penny.