My husband and I don't exchange gifts for birthdays or holidays. Here's what we do instead.

Instead of giving traditional gifts on birthdays and holidays, the author and her husband prefer to travel, give surprise gifts, or show their love through food. Courtesy of Renate Flanagan. My husband and I prioritize experiences like travel over gifts, sharing memorable trips together. Our relationship grew through thoughtful gestures that weren't tied to holidays or events. I'm glad we have memories instead of random trinkets. It was my birthday and my now-husband and I had been dating for about three months. When he got to my house, he wished me a happy birthday, then he apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't get you a gift." At the time, I was 31, had a good job, and could buy whatever I fancied, within reason. I couldn't come up with any material thing that I even wanted. "Don't be sorry," I told him, "It's a good thing.