Not feeling wanted

I love my bf but he never does anything special for me. I hear women talking about how their man spoils them and how they get treated like a queen and it kinda upsets me. It’s not that I want him to spend money on me or to spoil me per say. I just want to feel wanted. We’ve been together a year and 6 months and he never compliments me. He never takes me out to eat cause he hates spending money. He’s never gotten me flowers cause they “will die and be a waste of money.” I find that when it comes to kissing/ sex I’m becoming the one that usually initiates it. Little things like that is what matters and I don’t get them. I mean is it rlly that hard to compliment ur gf?? My self confidence is already not that high. I know some of u will tell me to talk to him abt it but I don’t want to seem needy and I definitely don’t want to force compliments out of him. Idk what to do.