25 Frugal Mother’s Day Ideas
May 10th, 2007
Almost everyone has a woman to present a gift to on Mother’s Day. Whether it is for your own mother, your mother-in-law or even your wife, the gift is meant to be from the heart. Luckily, the most personal gifts are often the most inexpensive. Mother’s Day isn’t about showering a mom with jewels and trinkets, but rather about demonstrating your love and appreciation for her. Below are 25 frugal Mother’s Day gifts that are sure to please the mother in your life without running up a high credit card balance.
- Baked Goods
It is very likely that your mother/wife has prepared many delicious goodies for you. You should return the favor by baking her something she likes. Cookies, bread and muffins are comfort foods that are inexpensive to prepare and that look good in a gift basket. Not only will this be a delicious treat for her, the fact that you baked it yourself makes it even more special. - Family Portrait
Presenting your mother with a picture of the family is a simple way to make her happy. Many mothers wish to fill their home with photographs of their children and grandchildren. If you don’t have a family portrait to give her, you can easily have one taken for a nominal fee. Stores like Target and Wal-Mart offer small portrait packages for under $10. - Children’s Artwork
Any kind of artwork from her children/grandchildren is sure to touch a mother’s heart. This could entail a simple crayon drawing on a piece of construction paper. Having the children personalize a message on the artwork is a great idea, as is placing a drawing in an inexpensive frame. - Poetry
Composing a poem for your mother/wife is not only free, it is a great opportunity to express how you feel about their mothering. A little praise goes a long way, as being a mother is often a thankless job. Poems from young children and grandchildren will be even more successful. - Collage
Do you have a lot of family pictures sitting around in a box somewhere? Making a collage out of those memories is a creative and free gift that a mother would enjoy very much. If you don’t want to cut up original pictures, you can have copies made for a small fee at many pharmacies and office supply stores. Or, if you have a scanner at home, you can scan the original pictures yourself and print them at home. - Photo Album
Photo albums can be purchased at the local dollar store and, when filled with memories, they will become instantly priceless. Mothers are very nostalgic when it comes to their family, so any kind of gift that involves photos will be a hit. - Children’s Handprints
An easy and inexpensive craft to make for Mother’s Day is a set of children’s handprints on a piece of paper. This can be done with an ink pad from the craft store, although acrylic paint will be even cheaper (and more colorful). Writing a special message or poem between each hand will personalize the gift even more, as will having the child sign and date it. - DVD of Old Family Pictures
Many photo-developing stores have a service in which they place photographs on a DVD as a slideshow. This is an inexpensive service that can even be personalized with music and effects. If you have a computer with a DVD burner, you can create this gift yourself for even less. - DVD of Old Family Home Videos
Having your old family home videos transferred onto a DVD is a great gift for mom. This is another service provided by many photo-developing companies. Comparison shop beforehand to make sure you are getting the lowest price. This gift shouldn’t be too expensive and it will safely preserve home movies for a lifetime. - Personalized Calendar
Online digital photography stores like Snapfish and Shutterfly offer inexpensive calendars that can be personalized with photographs and special dates. These calendars, along with other photo gifts, are often on sale during holidays like Mother’s Day. Be sure to check the sites for special discounts and rewards. - Love Letter
A love letter for Mother’s Day can be written by a husband, a child or a grandchild. Don’t be afraid to give a gift from the heart that didn’t cost you any money. The object of your affections won’t mind at all. - Breakfast in Bed
A surprise breakfast in bed will please any mother and put her in a great mood for Mother’s Day. This breakfast will go over even better if you let her sleep in a little first. As an added touch, place her favorite flower on the breakfast tray. - Babysitting Services
For some mothers, a simple day off from the kids might be the best present for Mother’s Day. Offer your babysitting services, either for Mother’s Day or another date of her choosing. - A Clean House
There’s nothing like coming home to a clean house, particularly if someone else cleaned it for you. Surprise the mother in your life with some housework. If you aren’t able to sneak in and do it without her noticing, offer her a homemade coupon for one thorough cleaning job by you, with love. - Bouquet of Wildflowers
A dozen roses are terribly expensive, as are many arrangements available from the local florist. A bouquet of wildflowers, placed in an inexpensive vase from the dollar store, will look just as beautiful. - Dinner and a Movie
Busy mothers hardly have time for themselves, so the chance to go out for dinner and a movie would be greatly appreciated. You could take her yourself or offer babysitting services for her younger children while she goes out with someone else. Either way, she will enjoy a night out on the town. - Gardening Gift Bag
For moms with a green thumb, you should offer a gift bag filled with seeds and gardening utensils. Seeds are available for a nominal amount and utensils can be found at the dollar store. Don’t forget to pick up the gift bag at the dollar store while you are there, as they can be very expensive at other stores. - Makeover at the Local Beauty College
If you can’t afford to send your mother/wife to a fancy day salon, consider having her pampered at a local beauty college. Salon services are available at beauty colleges for a reduced rate, as students are anxious to practice on new clients. Don’t worry, these students are well-trained, they just haven’t graduated yet. - Picnic in the Park
Having a picnic in the park is a great activity for the whole family. If this picnic is organized for your wife, this will also serve as a romantic gift. Letting the kids play while the two of you become reacquainted may be just what she wanted for Mother’s Day. - Drive in the Country
Busy moms rarely have time to catch a breath of fresh air. Like an outing to the park, a drive in the country is an inexpensive and easy way to get back to nature. A scenic drive may clear mom’s head and allow her to relax for the day. - Family Reunion
For a mother with children and grandchildren who live far away, the best present to her may be a family reunion. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate event, but rather a small gathering for lunch or dinner on Mother’s Day. - Homemade Card
A card made by hand is much more special to a mother than a generic greeting card. Not only are greeting cards from the store impersonal, they are expensive. Bring out your creative side with a homemade card for mom. You can personalize the sentiment with a photograph pasted inside or an outline of a small child’s hand. - Mother’s Day ECard
For a mom who is on the Internet daily, you should surprise her with a free Mother’s Day ecard. An ecard is an electronic greeting card that can be personalized and delivered on any day you want. There are many Web sites that offer Mother’s Day-themed cards. A simple Google search for “free ecard” should give you many options. - Bath Accessories
Most women appreciate the simple gift of some body wash and bath salts. A few inexpensive bath accessories placed in a gift bag from the dollar store is a frugal Mother’s day gift that is sure to please. Keep this gift in mind if you ever need to buy a woman a last-minute birthday gift, as well. - Homegrown Fruits and Vegetables
If you have a thriving produce garden at home, you should place some fruits and/or vegetables in a basket and offer them as a Mother’s Day gift. The effort you put into growing these foods gives the gift a special meaning. Also, this will surely taste better than anything from a supermarket.
Cynics often blame the greeting card industry for the popularity of Mother’s Day. However, that is an incorrect assumption. Mother’s Day garners attention because we all have a special mother in our lives that deserves recognition. Whether she is your own mother or someone special to you that just happens to be a mother, take the time this year to tell her, “thank you”. This can be done with an inexpensive, possibly free, gift from the heart.