My partner and I nealy always give 'events' as gifts rather than things, so that the house doesnt get cluttered up with lots of small things.
These dont have to be expensive, its more the thought and planning that goes into the event than the cost.
So we buy tickets to see something - a group, a singer, a comedian. If its local its usually not expensive at all.
My partner has arranged a day for me that involved going to a local farmers market in a cute town followed by going to the cinema to see a film I wanted to see (that he really didnt, but made the sacrifice of sitting through it with me!) followed by dinner in an affordable restaurant.
He has also arranged for me a day trip to London where he looked up some real nice places on the internet to visit, like a posh bar in a mega posh hotel where we had just one drink and ooggled all the rich people, a visit to the Temple church mentioned in the Da Vinci code, a look round Harrods and picnic lunch in the park opposite Buckingham Palace.
I have arranged for him a visit to Bristol where we looked at Clifton Suspension Bridge, followed by a look at the Camera Obscura (£2 entry), a look round Clifton village then pizza in a lovely looking pizza restaurant.
Good luck. If you plan a whole day, even if its looking at free things it still feels special because it takes some careful planning.