Not Made Of Money

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.

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