If this title made you smile, it means you know what I am talking about: while a man’s heart can easily be conquered by a tasty meal and a bit of flirting, the woman’s affinity has to be earned by numerous elaborate steps, which may be quite pricey sometimes. Is there a way for a man to touch his woman’s heart without having to hack into his budget?

It seems there is a way. Try doing the following things every day during a week or so, and I am sure you will see changes in her behavior toward you, because no woman (no matter how much she likes getting presents) can remain indifferent to these signs of care and respect:

1. Create continuous feeling of togetherness with your woman by staying in touch with her during the day (text, call, or skype her during the day to ask how her day is going). Display sincere interest in matters which are important to her, and she will be very thankful to you.

2. Find a reason to praise her for something (good cooking, a nice outfit, smart communication with a neighbor – anything) and do this once a day to let her feel she just did something really well.

3. Touch, embrace, or kiss her when she does not expect this – do it tenderly, let her feel your warmth, show her that you sincerely treasure her. You don’t have to look for any reasons to do this: just come up quietly, right when she is cooking or washing dishes, touch her by her shoulders, and kiss her hair or neck – no need to say anything, no need for a response – let her see that you do this just because being around her is a pleasure for you. Repeat it daily, and by the end of the first week you will see a big change in your communication.

4. Do something nice to her when she does not expect it. It can be anything that she traditionally does by herself. Just be there before her and do it. No words needed. (As you can see, I am not talking about bringing home flowers or putting presents on her pillow. Believe me, your simple act of doing the bed or cleaning the kitchen table after breakfast will be more appreciated than the flowers.)

5. Talk. Talk about anything that you have learned during the day. Just discuss things. Casually. Share your thoughts and listen to hers. Make her feel that her thoughts and emotions are important to you.

6. Use body language. Communicate by all extra-linguistic means you can think of. Sometimes, eyes can say a lot more than words, so do your hands and your bodies. Little by little, you will develop common body language, unless you have already done so. Develop it, make it more meaningful every day, because common body language is a way to build complete trust in each other.

These simple “exercises” are directed at developing the three basic components of every strong, long-lasting relationship: mutual respect, trust, and honest communication, which we will discuss in the future articles.