Few women on Earth don’t get a little ga-ga when a man hands them flowers. I can’t think of a single gift that compares when it comes to versatility. Flowers can be used for first dates, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, holidays and anything else you can think of. The top-rated reason? Just because.

Nothing makes a woman feel more special than having her man give her flowers out of the blue. You’ll probably get a pretty nice kiss for that one, let me tell you. Unfortunately, the cost of flowers can be more than a little ridiculous. One hundred bucks for something that’s going to reach the end of its shelf life in a few days? Not neccesary.

Hand-picked flowers are free, and they’re fantastically romantic. Unfortunately, they aren’t always easy to find, and they aren’t always in season. Which is why men turn to a professional florist, which can be pricey. But don’t worry. You don’t have to spend a hundred bucks on flowers to make a women smile. In fact, red roses are so common I tend to feel like little or no thought went into buying them. Find me something exotic, even if it’s just one, and I’ll thank you kindly.

Find me something exotic and tell me it’s “just because” and I’ll thank you til you can’t walk. But, I digress! Getting back on topic, this article is going to show you a few of the many options available for the romantic man on a budget. But, before I do that, let me explain something about buying flowers from an online florist. When you purchase a bouquet online, they almost always come with a pre-selected vase – and are delivered inside of it. I have two problems with this: One: They’re delivered to her by someone other than you. Two: The fact they come in a vase makes it feel less romantic then it should.

A man should hand a woman flowers in person.

And they shouldn’t already be in a vase when he does it – if that were truly romantic you’d see brides walking the aisle with their bouquets in a jar. So what do you do? You buy the flowers and have them delivered to yourself. On the day you plan to present them to her in person. If they are in the vase already, you’ll take them out, gently dry the stems (patting them paper towels will do) and then wrap everything up in some pretty tissue paper. And that doesn't mean Kleenex! (Don’t get them ready until you're about to meet her – you don’t want your flowers going limp prematurely!)

Do take the vase with you, but keep it out of sight until after she gets the flowers. Then, when she’s all teary eyed and looking for a vase, you can whip yours out. Extra points for you! Plus, the florist tends to have good taste in vases, so your girl will also be impressed by your taste, in addition your thoughtfulness! The following flowers can be found on the DotFlowers.com website. They are all under $40 and come with a vase. Note: There is no law that says you have to shop in the Romance section of a florist's website!

How can you not love these? Gorgeous, cheerful, bouncing rays of sunshine!

Perfect for a first date, or a "just-because" surprise. These are very cheerful and will brighten any day.

Cost: $29.95

Beautiful, soft pastel colors, sweetly romantic.

Perfect for any woman who loves the color purple. I know I do, and I'd love to get these flowers for any reason at all. They are simply gorgeous!

Cost: 39.95

Romantic, classic, sophisticated.

And, since they're red, they're also perfect for Valentine's Day. Red is the color of lust and love, so you can use these for spicing up any romantic eveing. Your woman will love them.

Cost: 39.95

Take her breath away with this stunning combination.

The colors here reflect both happiness and love. The flowers themselves are uniquely beautiful and most women have never been given a handful of these - be the first man to gift her with them!

Cost: 39.95

Cheerful, playful, cute, slightly innocent.

I can't imagine a more "fun" combination of flowers. These are perfect for any woman of any age. Give them to your girlfriend or wife - or leave them for someone you admire - and watch her smile with delight!

Cost: 32.95

Cheeful, old fashioned romance - Grandpa would have courted Grandma with these.

If a man showed up on my doorstep with these, I'd grin from ear to ear. These are so old-fashioned you can't help but appreciate the sentiment. The perfect way to give flowers without succumbing to commercialism.

Cost: 36.95

Summertime lovin'. Cute and cheerful, slightly innocent.

Not sure what she likes? Get her a littie bit of everything! This playful arrangement will please her, I promise.

Cost: 36.95

Beautiful and very romantic. Most women have never received this color rose - and I bet most would love to.

Roses are popular the world-over because they are so beautiful. Toss in a unique color and you have a guaranteed hit. Give these to your wife or girlfriend and she will never forget them.

Cost: 39.95

These are very pretty. I'm not a fan of the color peach but I would love to get this bouquet!

These make a lovely centepiece for a romantic dinner, so if she's invited you to her place, pick these up on the way and surprise her at the door!

Cost: 37.95

Is your girl into traditional pink roses? These will do!

If you're not sure whether or not your woman would like an unconventional array of flowers, you can always stick with tradition. After all, they're popularity didn't grow for nothing; everyone loves them.

Cost: 37.95

--

Obviously you can find flowers at your local florist, or at another online vendor. These are just examples to show you the variety out there. If your girl really loves red roses, you can do that too. Florists will suggest you take her décor into account. I happen to think that’s an incredibly stupid thing to say. To start, you probably don’t even know what kind of décor you have, let alone what kind your girlfriend has. Second – 99.9% of all women aren't going to even THINK about whether your flowers match her dining room. And, if she cares, well... only a truly classless woman would actually remark on it.

On the other hand, she just might show you how well those lovely lavendar roses match her knickers!

xx Isabella