How to Have a Budget Friendly Mother’s Day Without Seeming Cheap

The goal of Mother’s Day is to make your mom feel special.  Your budget shouldn’t make any difference as long as you take the time to make her day a meaningful occasion. So get over that idea that you have to spend a lot of money on your mother at the candy store and florists to make it a successful Mother’s Day.  Once you’ve overcome that hurdle, you’ll soon find you start having lots of fun ideas.

For those seriously strapped for cash, a few easy steps can be taken to create a day that she won’t forget.  For instance, any mom will appreciate home cooked food.  Making breakfast in bed for your mom can be a wonderful way to start her day off right.  Don’t worry about cooking up a gourmet meal.  A simple meal that you already know how to prepare and that fits your budget will be just as special.  Try for a delightful brunch outside in the warm sunshine, with some cold pasta salad and fresh-squeezed orange juice or lemonade.  Another option is a light salad with sliced strawberries, walnuts, apples and pears.

Another way to start her day off right would be to make a homemade banner or card the day before.  In your card, you can express how much you love her and appreciate the love she gives you in return.  For a banner, include bright colors and display it at the entrance to the home, so she gets a pleasant greeting each time she enters.  A great place to put it is over the dining table, then get a fresh bunch of flowers, some cheap flower-shaped helium balloons (available at most 99 cent stores for a buck each) or a flowering potted plant, and put them in the middle of the table as a colorful centerpiece.

A Mother’s Day gift that is budget friendly could be a little trip that you know your mom would enjoy.  For instance, plan a family picnic where all the food is prepared beforehand so that your mom doesn’t have to do anything but relax and enjoy your company. Pack some fresh crusty french bread, some soft Brie cheese, some sweet grapes and a bottle of white wine, and you’ve got the makings of a very sophisticated yet budget-friendly picnic.  Don’t forget the bottle-opener!

Other gifts that are budget friendly might include coupons for your services, such as vacuuming the house, doing the laundry, and washing the dishes.  Homemade artwork is another great budget friendly gift idea.  If you’re skilled in painting or drawing, try replicating an old photo of the family, or of just your mother, and turn it into a work of art.  Include a note of love on the back, and sign and date it.

As long as you take the effort to make Mother’s Day special, she will appreciate the effort.  Your gestures of kindness will show her how much you love her, and give her a wonderful day to remember.