Birthday - Richardson,TX

If he enjoys the finer things in life, you could get him an hour massage at massage heights or massage envy for $39.
They are awesome!
Also at Dillards they have a digital photo keychain for either 29 or 39 bucks and you can download 42 photos onto it.

I made my husband a photo book on shutterfly.com last year for $30. Pictures of him and the kids with headings and stories. He liked it.

You could send the kids somewhere and make a nice romantic dinner for him and you. Make white cupcakes with white frosting and white chocolate shavings on top, (e-mail me if you need help). Grill up some steaks, baked potatoes and salad with his favorite beer or drink. Enjoy dinner, desert and maybe surprise him with a little something from a place in Denton called My Spicy Treasures (phone number ###-###-####). Good Luck!!!

One thing you can do, is make his bday card. Also, have the kids make one too. I surprised my husband with a picnic lunch, as we were in the same boat before. We went to a park and sat under a tree by the water. He really liked it.

You could just make him a cake and a special dinner and buy a couple of balloons. You could probabley spend under $25 for all that. Not sure where you live but you can look for a massage school in your area and they have they have student massages for a full hour for $30 dollars. That would be a nice treat. Good luck!

Does he like sports? Maybe golf. Not sure how much you want to spend. How about a massage? You might be able they can be inexpensive sometimes.

Make a coupon book for him anything from washing his car to making an exciting evening!!!!!

For my husband, we bought him a ice cream maker and we bought the ingredients for his favorite flavor and the kids were so happy about this gift that he couldn't help but like it. I let the kids cut out magazine pictures of his special interests and we made a collage and used that to wrap the gift and it was as special to him as the present. Add a pizza and some DR Pepper and he had a very good day that felt tailored to him. Also, it helped my kids learn a little about who he is.

Money is not everything!
Marianne

My husband and I have shared 18 years of birthday partie. When he was 23, we too were on a shoestring budget and I felt so guilty because all I felt I could afford to do was bake him a cake, one thing I usually do every year, at his mom's house (because we were living on the family's property across the street from my mother in law in order to help save).
I bought her a small cluster of flowers from the grocery store (cost no more than $5) and I knew his favorite cologne. We had two children, so I bought one of those inexpensive small gift boxes maybe another $15-20), opened it rewrapped each piece and had each boy give him one of the pieces.
Anyhow, he cried he was so touched that 1) I was so loving to his mother 2) he had his family there.
Later he confessed that he thought our boys had made him these gifts he was about to open, his only disappointment was that it was not some handmade treasure from his children;he still appreciated the cologne and aftershave, but he thought it might be a piece of noodle jewelry or something else just as cheesy.

Point- dont fret on what you cannot do for him, count your blessings and put those on a pedastal for yourself and himself on that day.

Enjoy your time together, it is so precious.
M.