Affordable, But Meaningful, Gifts for Mom

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It’s that time again! Time to honor that special woman in your life — the one who gave you life, then helped mold your life every day. While no gift will ever compare to the ones she’s given you, Mother’s Day is that time of year when we all tend to want to offer Mom a grand gesture to somehow demonstrate our appreciation.

However, if you’ve decided to operate within a frugal lifestyle, the fancy, shiny gadgets retailers are currently highlighting may be outside your budget. Here, you’ll find ways to give your mom a special, meaningful gift while still saving money.

Health and Beauty Essentials

For many moms out there, special services such as a nail or hair salon visit, a spa day or visit to the tanning bed may seem to be a huge splurge. Therefore, many will opt out of services like this altogether, choosing instead to perform them at home.

Of course, your mom deserves a special day where professionals can cater to her beauty needs. Make no mistake, though — salons and spas can be rather expensive. You can, however, get these services much more affordably by taking advantages of local discounts and deals offered by websites like SaveOn.

Weekend Getaways

Mother’s Day comes at the perfect time of year — the spring season — when the sun is shining and the weather is pleasant. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to whisk mom away for a quick weekend trip she’ll enjoy!

Of course, when we think about traveling, we often think of faraway lands which take lots of time (not to mention money) to get to. But mothers often enjoy the simple gestures, so a quick outing to the beach (if you live in driving distance of one), to a large lake nearby, to an amusement park, annual festival or casino may provide the perfect change of pace.

Can’t get out of town but want to do something different? How about a trip to the local zoo, a visit to a local museum she would be interested in, a live performance at the local theater or salsa lessons from a dance company? To draw visitors, many of these companies may run advertised (or unadvertised) coupons to be used on — or soon after — Mother’s Day.

Floral Treasures

For some of us, Mother’s Day is synonymous with floral gifts. After all, what woman doesn’t love a great floral bouquet? However, as beloved as a beautiful arrangement may be, if you give this gift every year, your mom may appreciate a break from the norm.

If your mom enjoys gardening, you can often find a nice set of small, hand-held garden tools at the local home improvement store. Seeds, books, small plants and gloves are also plentiful there, and they can all be easily and attractively packaged in an over-sized gift basket.

Another attractive floral display that’s inexpensive: a do-it-yourself terrarium. The greatest part of this gift, aside from the fact that it’s low maintenance and inexpensive, is the fact that you can create one with your mom (or if she’s the mother of young children, they too can participate). All you need is a glass container, potting soil and pebbles or small rocks (all of which are generally available at your local dollar store) as well as activated charcoal and plants (available at home improvement stores).

Assembly is simple: Pebbles are arranged at the bottom of the vase, followed by activated charcoal (which prevents bacteria and keeps water clean), then potting soil is added on top. Afterward, arrange the plants in an attractive display, and mom has a keepsake that will remain beautiful and fresh all year.

Television Shows

If your mom has a favorite television show that she enjoys, chances are she would love to have this gift of entertainment packaged and ready for her binge-watching pleasure. She can enjoy catching up on all the episodes she missed whenever she likes. You can obtain DVD boxed sets through entertainment websites, network television (or cable television) websites, at bookstores nationwide or through digital downloads via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc.

Another way to keep mom well entertained, year-round, is by purchasing a subscription to online television and movie streaming sites such as NetFlix and Hulu Plus. Mom can enjoy entertainment via her computer, popular tablets and smart phone devices, TiVO DVR streaming, popular gaming devices and via Blu-Ray and DVD rentals.

Wining And Designing

Increasing in popularity are classes offered at various venues around the country. Often called “Wine and Paint” parties, participants have the opportunity to learn to do an oil painting from a local artist while enjoying the company of friends, family and like-minded neighbors. Some have a charitable element to these events as well. Events like these vary in price, but some vendors offer coupons or group discounts as a way of saving money. This offers mom a unique opportunity to express her creativity, to spend quality time with the most important people in her life and to leave with a special keepsake she’ll treasure for years to come.

Hey Couponistas: What are you doing for mom this Mother’s Day? Share your budget-friendly gift ideas by posting a comment below!