Ask the Readers: How Do You Keep It Frugal on Mother's Day?
Editor's Note: Congratulations to BRB, Susan, and Davalyn for winning this week's contest!
Mother's Day is coming up! Retailers want to convince you that you need a giant bouquet, fine jewelry, and a restaurant dinner to show your mom you love her, but frugalites — and moms — know better. You can absolutely celebrate Mother's Day without breaking the bank. All it takes is a little thought and creativity!
How do you keep it frugal on Mother's Day? How do you plan on celebrating Mother's Day this year? And for the moms: what's your favorite Mother's Day memory?
Tell us how you keep it frugal on Mother's Day and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
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I usually make my mom's present (not this year, though). I get her card for half price at BJ's. My Mother's Day flowers are usually plants for my front yard, so I can enjoy them all summer long. Get my money's worth out of them.
I just plan the expense months ahead so it doesn't sneak up on me and so it doesn't have to be too frugal
We keep it frugal by letting the kids make Mother's Day cards.
We are frugal for Mother's Day by having the kids make Mom a special breakfast and they make their own cards at home and we do fun outdoor activities that do not cost a lot.
We are frugal for Mother's Day by having the kids make Mom a special breakfast and they make their own cards at home and we do fun outdoor activities that do not cost a lot.
I keep it frugal by staying home
doing shari's berries
Handmake a card and gifts or cook a dinner.
I watch for sales or discount codes to do my shopping.
This year, I put out the word no presents for me for Mother's Day since I have everything I could want. My daughter will be here visiting which is the perfect present! We also reuse cards from previous years and laugh at their signatures from when the girls were little.
I cook a mea; for my mom!
I keep it frugal by doing homemade gifts! I am also a bargain shopper, so I look out for coupons and sales throughout the year for gifts.
I focus on spending time with mom rather than on getting her things. Works every time! :)
I like to give my mom flowers - either a fresh bouquet, a hanging basket, or a potted perennial that she can enjoy for years to come. I also like to give her a nice card. Sometimes I give her a gift card so that she can buy some new clothes.
This year I'm giving her a bouquet of fresh flowers - she gets pretty excited when I do this - I've also chosen a lovely card that coordinates with the flowers...and for a bit of fun, I'm including a bit of cash that she can use on anything she likes.
My kids are now adults and I love how two of them spend Mother's Day with me every year. My oldest son is in the military so he usually isn't able to be home. Last year he was deployed overseas but he had a beautiful container of flowers and a box of chocolates delivered to me. They were so lovely and such a surprise. My other son took photos of me with the flowers and we shared them on Facebook. The combination of flowers were so lovely that I did my window boxes in the same colors.
My mom is overseas so I plan far ahead and think of something special to do for her that is thoughtful and isn't crazy expensive.
I make dinner for my mom!
My mom is far away and I love to send presents for every occasion. That's why I buy gifts as I find them at great prices throughout the year, keeping a couple boxes of stock gifts and special things I've purchased in advance.
I like to buy my mom plants! She loves to garden and they last much longer than a bunch of flowers!
I noticed on one of the comments, someone mentioned the same thing I was going to say! I just bought a beautiful card at BJs where greeting cards are 50% off. The mother I an honoring loves receiving pretty cards.
I make a present or a try to find coupons
I love Mothers Day! Every year my kids do all kinds of sweet things. We usually spend the day outdoors and go out to dinner.
Usually purchase a nice outdoor plant for summer.
We go out to lunch or brunch because it's usually a lot cheaper than dinner.
We don't do gifts from the store instead we do homemade gifts
I always try to keep it frugal on holiday- especially mother's day! I usually make gifts using things I have around the house, or I shop sales well in advance to get the best deals on something I know mom has been wanting.
We keep it Mothers Day frugal by letting the kids make Mother's Day cards.
I usually buy something off LivingSocial or Groupon, like a massage for her or something we can do together.
Handmade gifts seem to be the most frugal and most appreciated mother's day gifts
We just spend the day together, maybe go to a park if the weather is nice. Keep it simple!
At this point in our lives, it's about quality time together, not material things. Lunch together, either in or out, keeps the budget in line while treating my mom as the princess she is.
Make a homemade meal and get away from the restaurant prices and crowds.
We have a bbq at home.
I usually just buy small gifts for my mom and my husband's mom.
I try to get ideas at least a week or two in advance. I want her to have exactly what she wants but this gives me the time to shop around!
We usually have a BBQ at home rather than going out to eat and I keep the gift reasonable.
I usually buy a gift card at a grocery store using a credit card with a bonus category so I can get up to 6% back!
I like to CLEAN for mom....it doesn't cost me anything, but she sure appreciates it. I mean who likes to clean the oven?!
Make brunch at home instead of going out to eat
My son makes me a homemade gift.
We save money by eating at home. We usually will make a big brunch and then have a BBQ
We live in an area with beautiful wildflowers so instead of store-bought ones I just go an pick some! They are even more beautiful!
I guess not, since I spent $60 on a custom candy box and a card. But she loves them.
we go to a local reasonably-priced brunch buffet that's only reserved for special occasions
My mom is usually just happy to see me and spend a little time with me on Mother's Day, so I usually get her a card and some small token gift and go visit her for a while. I try to stay in touch and go to lunch or dinner with her throughout the year, so it's not such a rare thing that HAS to be done on Mother's Day.
BBQ
With handmade cards.
We usually go to a nearby historic city that has local resident days where admission to the historic forts are only 50 cents instead of $12.50 each! We take a picnic lunch and go hiking, just having fun and being together on Mother's Day. It's lovely. Can't wait for tomorrow!
Homemade finger paintings! :)
If I win, please give my gift card to Jenny D. Thank you so much Jenny D for the sacrifice your family has made to protect mine. Happy Mother's Day to you and every mother out there with a daughter/son in the military! Thank you, so very much, for your service. My deepest respect and appreciation for all that you do.
To keep it frugal, I will shopnusing coupons or buy online deals on sites such as groupon.com or livingsocial.com. They have great deals on massages and various services or travel. My favorite Mother's Day tradition is barbecuing with my family and spending quality time with them playing games and catching up!
We keep it home-made.
We usually do a brunch at home and don't get any big gifts.
My kids make me homemade gifts.
Definitely buy a cake mix from the store instead of opting for a cake from a bakery!
We make brunch at home so we avoid the long waits and cost!
I cook my mom dinner.