Ten of the Best Free Ways to Say “I Love You”

Telling someone you love them is always wonderful, but showing them is even nicer. After all, actions do speak louder than words in almost every sense of the manner. When you take the time to show someone you love them with your actions, you change the way they feel. You make that person feel special, loved and utterly amazing. It is truly the simplest things that make the most impact and the biggest difference in the lives of others, and we can tell you that you don’t have to spend a fortune to tell someone you love them. In fact, you need not spend even a dime. We have a list of ways you can tell your love that they mean the world to you without every opening your wallet. After all, what’s better than saying “I love you” free of charge? Few things, since you’re probably saving for more important things like a house, or an engagement ring, or a wedding anniversary gift. So, that said, here we go.

Put Your Phone Down

At the end of the day, putting down the phone or iPad and paying attention to the person you love is really what’s going to show the most affection. We spend so much time with our electronics and our social media that we rarely pay much attention to the people we love. But when we put that down and focus solely on a person, it shows true love.

Ask about His or Her Day

Sometimes we forget to do this after many years of marriage. Our spouse walks through the door and we bombard him or her with stories of our own day, complaints about the kids, demands and so many other things that we forget to show we care. When we remember to ask, it reminds our spouse we love them unconditionally.

Give a Massage

It’s intimate and sweet, and it is something everyone appreciates. A few minutes of alone time so that you can give a massage is going to show you partner that you love him or her. It shows it even more if you don’t ask for one in return. But if you get one in return anyway, things are good for you.

Linger Over a Kiss

Most of the time we say goodbye or hello to our spouse it’s very quickly. It’s a rushed habit and we don’t linger. If you want to show your spouse you love him or her, linger over the kiss. Make it a bit longer. Stop and pay attention to it. Make it the priority and it’s going to make your partner feel very, very loved.

Hug them a bit Tighter

Hugs aren’t something we do much these days. Have you ever noticed how infrequently we really hug people? And when we do hug someone, it’s become a sort of side-by-side one arm deal. It’s not sweet or loving or even romantic anymore, and that is a problem for me. I like a good hug. It’s a way to show someone you love them without actually saying a word, and I believe we should all do a big more hugging.

Make Eye Contact

How often do you make eye contact with the one you love? My guess is that you do not do this nearly enough. It’s a simple gesture, but it’s an effective one. When you take the time to make eye contact with someone in the midst of a conversation and again when pulling them in close, it conveys love and happiness. And it’s just respectful to make eye contact with the person speaking to you. Go ahead and try it, and see how far you get with it.

Really Listen

Listen to hear, not to reply. Listen so that you can make a wonderful conversationalist. And sometimes, listening means not saying anything in return. Sometimes it just means that you’re listening and not replying. Sometimes all people need is to see that you hear them. And that’s a lot easier said than done, but you can make a big difference in showing someone you love them by really listening to what they have to say.

Make Cookies

Cookies are a really nice gesture. You bake someone their favorite cookies and hand them over fresh out of the oven, still warm and fresh and that says “I love you” more than anything you might imagine. When someone tells me they love me with cookies, it makes my day. In fact, I don’t care what you’re telling me with cookies as long as you’re talking to me with cookies. The fact that you love me is just a bonus to the fact that I get delicious cookies.

Create a Playlist or CD

It’s old-school, especially if you go the CD route, but it is very sweet and very effective. The key is to make sure all the songs on the album are the ones that mean the most. A CD or playlist filled with love songs and songs that have a lot of meaning to the two of you will be the most effective at saying “I love you” to someone you love. Pick songs you’ve danced to, songs that have a sweet meaning and songs that say the words you want to say to the person you love. It’s one of the most romantic gestures in the world.

Grab Him/Her and Dance to a Beautiful Song at Home

When you hear a beautiful song come on the surround sound, grab your love and dance. My husband did this the other night while singing to me, and it was romantic, welcome and I felt very loved. I felt so good about it. Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” came on our surround sound while we were cleaning the kitchen after dinner and he dropped what he was doing, grabbed me and danced with me around the house. I cannot tell you how sweet it was and what an impact it had on me. I loved every second of it, and it was a wonderful way for him to tell me he loves me.

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images