With Mother’s Day swiftly approaching, you’d do well to start thinking about what you’re going to get Mom now. Don’t be tempted to go all out and spend way more than you can really afford to show Mom how special she is. Odds are that she doesn’t really want or expect you to break the bank to show her that she matters.

A thoughtful gift that shows Mom that you pay attention to her is a much better idea for a Mother’s Day gift. Giving her a gift that makes her life easier or treats her to something she wouldn’t normally buy for herself is a great way to pamper her on her special day. Here are a few ideas you might try:

A Living Plant – Although floral arrangements are beautiful, they are expensive. In addition, they don’t last that long. Why not purchase Mom a plant that will thrive and grow under her care, just like you did?

Perfume – Most moms have spent years sacrificing the little luxuries in life so that they could give their children more. Show Mom that you noticed her sacrifices by buying her a small bottle of the special perfume she gave up. You can buy the tiniest bottle at the makeup counter to keep your budget intact. Mom won’t care; she’ll be touched that you remembered what she likes. (If Mom isn’t into perfume, you could try the same idea with designer shampoo or body creams.)

Pre-Prepared Meals – Wouldn’t it be nice to treat Mom to a meal that she didn’t have to prepare herself? The increasingly popular “take and bake” food preparation services make it easy for you to guarantee Mom won’t have to slave away in the kitchen, at least for a few nights. Some grocery stores have even started adding these types of services to their offering. You can spend a few hours at the retail center to assemble the meal and freeze them for presentation to Mom. The store will take care of the cleanup and Mom can just pop the frozen dish into the oven.

Decadent Candies – Again, many moms don’t treat themselves to expensive things, such as premium chocolates. You can buy Mom a handful of these high-quality treats to show her that she deserves the very best. The richness of these special indulgences will more than make up for the smaller size of your gift, and by buying only a few, you can still maintain your gift budget.

Framed Art – No, you don’t have to spend a fortune at the home décor store to find artwork. Most of the time, simply putting a mat and frame around something ordinary turns it into something extraordinary. A poem you wrote as a child, or one your own child has written is an especially heart-touching work of art to any mom.

Over-sized Tote Bag – Everyone knows that mothers tend to carry everything but the kitchen sink in their bags. You can help her tote her things around in style by giving her a chic new bag. Sentimental Mom may appreciate a bag adorned with pictures of your family. A Career-Oriented Mom may appreciate a bag that will help her get all of her things to her next meeting. Take care to choose a bag that will suit your mom’s tastes.

No, this isn’t a Capital One commercial. Seriously, what is in your wallet? Some people carry nothing but cash in their wallet. Others carry just about every type of identification or financial information they have in their wallet.

In a perfect world, the things you actually should carry in wallet lie somewhere in between these two stereotypes. There are definitely items that you should have with you at all times. But you also don’t need to have everything with you. In the event that your wallet is lost or stolen, minimizing the things in your wallet will help you contain the damage you will face.

Things you should carry in your wallet include:

Your Drivers License – It’s important to have valid identification with you at all times.

Your Auto Insurance Card – If you’re driving, you’ll be required to be have proof of insurance with you.

Cash – Although you don’t want to carry too much cash, it is nice to have a minimal amount with you.

One Debit or Credit Card – Carrying multiple credit cards with you is like an invitation to identity thieves to have a field day with your wallet. However, if your car breaks down, you’ll be glad to have a way to pay for a tow to your mechanic’s shop. Remember this card is for emergencies, not indulgences.

Medical Emergency Information – Allergies and medical conditions you have could be very important information if you become ill or are in an accident. Having that information with you could save emergency workers valuable time.

Things you should NOT carry in your wallet include:

Your Social Security Card – Never carry your social security card with you as a routine. If you need to provide it to an employer or to show it at a Social Security office, carry it with your for that particular day. Once you get home again, make sure you pull it back out of your wallet and put it safely away.

Tons of Credit Cards – Don’t stuff your wallet full with credit cards. You might be tempted to have them all with you just in case you need them. You’re much more likely to use your credit cards if you have them with you when you feel the shopping urge.

Your Birth Certificate – Like your social security card, your birth certificate should only be taken out of your home when there is a specific need. Very rarely will you need to present it to anyone.

Contact Information Cards – When you buy a new wallet, the wallet often includes one of those blank cards for you to write all of your vital information on. The premise is that if you lose your wallet someone will see the card and call you. Unfortunately, the other possibility is that some one will find the wallet, your credit card, and your private information.

The sky-rocketing prices of gas are a problem across the nation. Whether you drive a big SUV or a small economy car, you’ve probably been trying to come up with some ways to control what you’re spending on gas. You can’t, however, always control the distances that you have to travel each day.

While you can’t quit driving to work and school, you can do a few things to help improve your gas mileage or save on your gas purchases. By making these types of changes in your driving and spending habits you can whittle your fuel expenses down to a, hopefully, more manageable portion of your budget.

The first, and possibly easiest, thing you can do to improve your gas mileage and stretch your gas purchases a little further, is to get rid of all of the extra stuff in your car. Children’s toys and sports gear are notorious for making their way to your car and staying there. Reducing excess weight in your car will improve your car’s performance and efficiency. Be sure to look in your trunk or cargo space for extra items that can be removed.

Keeping your car in good running shape is also important to improving your fuel efficiency. Maintaining your car requires that you make sure your car has regular oil changes and tune ups. You should also make sure that your tires are inflated to the right tire pressure. If you’re not sure what the recommended maintenances requirements are for your car, you can check out your owner’s manual.

Finally, saving on gas costs can be as simple as scheduling your errands to coincide with other times you have to be on the rode. Commuters should plan to do as much of their shopping while they’re in town as possible. Weekend errands should be grouped together to minimize the miles you’ll be putting on your car. It stands to reason that if you simply drive fewer miles, you’ll spend less money on gas.

Making small changes in the way you drive and maintain your car can add up to significant changes in your car’s fuel efficiency. Over time these changes will lead to a decrease in your family’s gas expenses and an improvement in your financial situation.