• Cheap gifts do not have to be empty gestures.empty gift box image by Liz Van Steenburgh from Fotolia.com
  
  You don't have to spend a lot of money to show someone that you care about him. Inexpensive birthday gift ideas can be extra cheap when it comes to the pocketbook, but quite invaluable when it comes to sentiment.
  
  

Pictures

• Knowing that a picture has a thousand-word capability, giving him a sentimental photograph can help you say what you are thinking. Go through your archives and select pictures of the gift recipient, both alone and surrounded by family and friends. Either take the best one and frame it in an inexpensive picture frame, or purchase a photo album from a second-hand store and fill it up with a variety of pictures.
  
  

Mixed CD

• A mixed CD is more than just a collection of songs; it can be both a message about your relationship with the gift recipient and a way to introduce him to new music. Make a playlist of your favorite 15 to 20 songs, or as many that will fit on a writable CD. Create a track listing, and show off a little of your artistry by drawing your own CD cover.
  
  

Poem

• If you have feelings, then all you need are a pen and some paper for another cheap gift. Expressing yourself with a poem can be a two-folded gift: you give your friend a beautiful and sentimental gift, and you give yourself the gift of artistic creation. If you are rhythmically challenged, then consider writing some prose or a short story, and if you are musically inclined, make it a song.
  
  

New Heirloom

• If you know that your friend has had an eye on something of yours for quite some time, then turn that coveted object into a gift. Examples include a necklace that she always borrows, or a jacket that she likes to try on every time she visits. Re-gifted items do not have to be only clothing. Search for your belongings for other items of value, like a favorite record or a hardback copy of your shared favorite author's book.
  
  

Coupons

• Have your actions speak louder than words by creating your own book of coupons. Write down all the things that you are wiling and able to perform for the recipient, like a weekend of dog sitting or an afternoon of yard help. Focus the coupons on your specialties; if you are good in the kitchen, offer a free cooking lesson, or if you are a math wizard, then free algebra tutoring.