Love Your Mom and Your Budget

Mother’s Day has been a national holiday in the United States for over 120 years now. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May a day to honor mothers, and Americans have been celebrating ever since.

Many of us participate in the holiday, lavishing our mothers with a combination of flowers, presents or Sunday brunch. In fact, in a 2024 survey, people said they planned to spend over $250 on the holiday.

Unfortunately, for some of us, there’s a big gap between what we feel Mom deserves and what we can afford. But do you really need to break your budget in order to let mom know you care? Not at all! If your funds are limited, here are a few ways you can still show your gratitude.

1. Take Mom’s advice

Most moms want you to spend with both your heart and your budget in mind. Yes, mothers appreciate lavish gifts just like the rest of us, but they also value things that don’t have price tags.

In a survey from YouGov, moms said the following activities were their top choices for Mother’s Day:

• 60% Spend time with my children
• 42% Go out to eat/drink
• 32% Spend time at home
• 31% Spend time with my mother/family
• 20% Spend time on my own

Like almost all gift-giving occasions, Mother’s Day suffers from some serious escalation issues. Giving less than you did last year, or less than your siblings give, can feel embarrassing. But if you asked your mom, chances are she’d probably tell you it’s the quality time with you (or relaxing alone) that counts.

2. Lighten her load 

The last thing your mother wants is to have extra cooking and cleaning to do on Mother’s Day. For a free gift that’s likely to impress your mother, take over her household chores.  This could include mowing her lawn without being asked, cleaning the house, or repairing things around the house that are overdue to be fixed.

2. Give something homemade

Moms are unabashed suckers for gifts made with love. Combine a little effort with a dash of thoughtfulness and Mom is likely to cherish whatever you come up with. Here are a few items moms say they appreciate:

• Greeting cards
• Photos
• Anything handmade or personalized

If Mom can see that you put in time and effort, even if it’s just to make her a card, she’s likely to be happy with the gift.

3. Cook for her

A Mother’s Day meal is all about the experience of togetherness (and about Mom not having to cook). Fortunately, you don’t need an expensive restaurant to capture the sentiment of a Mother’s Day meal. In fact, you don’t need a restaurant at all.

Try cooking Mom her favorite meal this year. It’s cheaper and even more thoughtful than springing for an expensive outing. Just make sure you do it at your home and not hers, so she doesn’t have to worry about the cleanup.

5. Put a spin on flowers

According to the Society of American Florists, Mother’s Day is the third biggest day of the year for buying flowers. The demand for flowers is incredibly high around this time of year, and unfortunately, prices reflect that.

If you really want to get your mother flowers, consider ordering them early . Or, instead of giving her a bouquet, give her a hand-painted pot of her favorite flowers, or plant something new in her yard.

You know your mother better than most, so embrace the chance to be creative this year. But if your budget is tight, avoid the urge for impulsive holiday spending. Instead of waiting until the last minute, plan ahead to pack meaning into a gift that costs little money, or none at all.