10 Frugal Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and if you’re short on cash, that can be a mixed bag of news.

Mothers do so much for their children, it would just be wrong to let finances get in the way of celebrating. But that doesn’t mean you have to go to the credit cards in order to wish your mom a happy Mother’s Day.

There are all kinds of frugal ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day, and I’d like to show you a few ideas that are sure to make your mom smile – without making your local salesperson grin ear to ear.

Hurry. Time is running out. Here are some gifts you can justify and afford.

1. Make a dollar store basket.

Head on over to your local dollar store and grab a basket, filling it with all kinds of little goodies your mom will love. Perhaps a few lotions, bath salts, or chocolates! It’s kind of like an Easter basket, but for Mother’s Day.

It’s good idea to be thoughtful about what you include. Get some items you know she’ll like – perhaps ask your dad if she needs anything that you could get from the dollar store.

Here are some of the best things to buy at the Dollar Store.

2. Bake some treats.

If mom isn’t on a diet, make sure she knows that Mother’s Day isn’t the time to start!

Bake up a batch of cookies or perhaps her favorite cheesecake. The ingredients will cost very little, and she’ll appreciate the effort that you put into making something especially for her.

3. Spend time with mom.

This is perhaps the most frugal idea of all.

Spend time with your mom, and she’ll still feel like a million bucks. But let it be a special time with her . . . don’t just do what you normally do. Think about ways you can spend time with her just to talk. If you live close consider asking her to go on a walk to the park. If you don’t live close, at least call your mom!

Believe it or not, your mom will probably appreciate the time you spend with her more than anything else you could buy and give her. But that doesn’t mean getting her a gift is a bad idea – it’s a great bonus!

4. Give Groupon a shot.

Groupon has some amazing deals to help you save money at restaurants. Why not buy your mom a Groupon for her favorite restaurant? You’ll save money, and she’ll get to eat delicious food.

You can save up to 50 and 90% using Groupon. They’re serious about their discounts!

5. Make a photo album.

You know all those photos you have on your iPhone? Well, did you know that load them into the Photos app on your Mac and turn them into beautiful albums?

Yep, it’s possible.

The new Photos application for OS X allows you to create 20 pages of photos for just $9.99. That’s a killer deal.

Your mom will love flipping through the album – but make sure to include everyone in the family and the pets, too!

Oh, and by the way, you can make all kinds of other things too . . . cards, calendars, and prints as well.

You can also purchase a Blurb Book which takes all of her Instagram pictures and puts it into a beautiful photo book.

6. Gather keepsakes in a memory box.

This is a fantastic idea sure to touch Mom’s heart.

Grab a nice box and place in it all kinds of memories – perhaps a few family photos or trinkets from your childhood. The sky is the limit!

7. Write a letter to mom.

If you’re an adult now, this can be one of the most meaningful ideas in this article.

Write about your fondest childhood memories or the lessons you learned growing up. Throw in a few you-were-right-moms and you’ll be all set. Watch the tears of happiness flow!

8. Cut some flowers.

If you have a lawn with some flowers, cut some for your mom (especially if they are roses). Why go out and spend a bundle on flowers? Florists will just mark them up anyway in anticipation of Mother’s Day.

Wrap the flowers together with some ribbon and place them in a vase when you arrive at her house. Add some water, and you’re done. It’s a simple gesture that says, “I love you mom.”

9. Invite mom to your church.

If you’re the churchgoing type, and your mom is too, and you both go to different churches, why not invite her to your church? She would love the invitation, and the message will probably be geared toward moms anyway.

Bring your mom to church!

10. Watch a Redbox movie with mom.

Redbox has some movies for much less than you’ll pay through a streaming service. Grab a bag of popcorn, pop in a movie your mom is sure to love, and you’re all set!