1.) Flowers
Start your savings on mom’s flowers by bringing your own basket from home and picking some wildflowers from a field. Alternatively, you can pick up a cheap, but pretty, vase at a craft or thrift store, then add a strand of ribbon to customize it to mom’s style with a budget friendly bouquet from the store.
2.) Homade Gifts
Try a decorated framed photo of a shared memorable moment, or a scrapbook of your best childhood memories. You can even make your mom a playlist of songs that both of you love.
If you’d rather purchase a gift than create one, shop early so you don’t feel pressured to buy a gift you can’t afford. Also, use coupon sites to see if you can get a discount.
3.) Dining out (or in) for less
Don’t make reservations without considering if they’re necessary or not. Mom might enjoy a home-cooked meal more than an evening out. Or, have a family barbecue. Load the car with Frisbees, balls and kites, pack up a cooler and head to the local park. Then, enjoy a delectable dinner that’s fun to prepare and even more fun to eat!
If you’ve got your heart set on taking mom out to a restaurant, shop around for the best Mother’s Day deals at restaurants. It’s worth making a few phone calls to see if they will be running any specials to save as much money as possible. Also, consider sharing a few bigger portions instead of everyone ordering individual plates.
4.) Plan ahead
It’s never too early to start saving, and it’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s Mother’s Day. While you can’t purchase mom's flowers that far in advance, shop the post-Mother’s-Day sales for deals on greeting cards, wrapping paper and gifts for mom.