What to Buy on Mother’s Day without Breaking the Bank

Have you forgotten about your mom?

More specifically, what exactly do you have planned for Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re still thinking long and hard about what to get mom to show her how much you love and care but are somewhat cash strapped in the process, you’re in luck.

Retailers swoon over the month of May, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day specifically.

Gifts for mom can range from dinner out with the family to a gift card, flowers and cards, and everything in between.

How much you spend really should depend on what you can afford, financially speaking, although not everyone takes that approach.

And, in some instances, kids forget mom altogether.

A recent study showed that 1 out of 5 kids forgot about mom on Mother’s Day, a staggering number when you consider how retailers are always quick to remind you with the ubiquitous and quite obvious “Mother’s Day Sale” paraphernalia and fliers.^[1]

That percentage of kids who forget about Mother’s Day might fall into the category of not being financially able to spend anything above rent, car payment, school loan and other essentially that are non-negotiable, playing their budget restraints close to the proverbial vest.

That said, Mother’s Day isn’t without the other side of the spectrum, either.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) puts together statistics on shopping days that matter each year, and Mother’s Day is right up there with other holidays of that ilk (i.e. Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.).

Mother’s Day, on average, seems about around the $172 mark for mom, not too shabby when you consider financial constraint on the masses.^[2]

Bad news for those without much or any discretionary income, that $172 mark went up in subsequent years and topped out in 2017 at $15 more, approximately $187 for Mother’s Day.^[3]

In totality, Mother’s Day accounts for billions of dollars spent annual, typically centering right around the 21 billion dollar mark each month, and it accounted for in the way of a variety of gifts you’d have in mind for dear, old mom.

The top three heavy hitters for Mother’s Day are jewelry, dinner or some sort of meal out to eat and flowers, followed closely by gift cards, clothing and electronics, although jewelry and dinner are easily the standouts at one and two respectively, generating more than 4 billion dollars each year.^[4]

If you’re not prepared financially to take mom on a spending spree or to a dinner that is going to account for that $172, mostly due to not having that kind of extra money, you still can provide mom with something memorable if you know exactly where to look as far as the best deals on jewelry, flowers, electronics, gifts cards and even the restaurant she’s had her eye on for months, and doing as only moms can do and be not so subtle about wanting to go.

It’s easy to get caught up in overspending, too.

The same sales and deals that are trying to save you money might also lead you to spend more, use credit cards and often times leave Mother’s Day feeling as though you’ve put yourself in a savings bind.

That doesn’t have to be the case in 2018, with plenty of discounts that are hard to pass up, and won’t leave you with an empty wallet and yet mom still feels as though you put forth enough effort, minus the dollar amounts.

Here’s a few great Mother’s Day deals you’ll want to consider:

Clothing: Mom might needs some new duds at a deal price

The one element of Mother’s Day that entices potential buyers is how early the sales start.

Literally, as you’re reading this article, there are sales popping up or have already popped.

The idea of starting early from a gift giving perspective makes perfect sense, much the same way no one wants last minute holiday rushes to define how they spend (or overspend) due to sales and demand starting to wane the closer you get to May 13.

Clothing accounts for almost 2 billion dollars in Mother’s Day sales each year, and retailers realize just how paramount that amount is to their bottom line.

One retailer that is upping the ante is Nordstrom, who is giving buyers a reason to shop that goes far beyond just mom. Much the same way buying new clothes during the holidays is a perfect time to not only shop for the people on your list but yourself as well, Nordstrom is offering a $20 gift card to you, the shopper, when you spend $150 on on eGift Cards, while Clarks, a reputable footwear provider, is giving 20 percent off through May 13.^[5]

One place you might overlook is Overstock on Mother’s Day, as far as clothing and accessories go, but they’re offering a straight 20 percent off clothing, accessories, watches and shoes that might be exactly what mom needs to complete her perfect wardrobe.^[6]

And if one stop shopping for clothes is what you’re after, in addition to saving money while you spend, look no further than Target, which is offering buy one, get one on dresses at 50 percent off, a deal that isn’t going to cost you much but will have mom loving this new look.^[7]

In addition you can’t overlook JC Penny’s as far as clothing for mom, with 20 percent of purchases of $100 or more and 15 percent off anything that is below the $100 mark, while Anthropologie is taking 25 percent off items already on sale that range from beauty to clothes.^[8]

Flowers: Sentiment, showmanship is a bona fide winner when mom gets flowers

Flowers are a staple for Mother’s Day, with in-store florists and online providers wanting to earn business on a day when 2 billion dollars of flowers are purchased each year.

You’d be surprised how good of deal you can get from a local florist, mostly due to their propensity to want to stay competitive with the likes of 1800 Flowers and a Gourmet Gift Baskets, which offers flowers at a premium price and delivery and anything delicious and scrumptious for mom to snack on, respectively.

If the local florist isn’t an option, you may want to consider those aforementioned online entities, which are rolling out the red carper for mom this year. 1800 Flowers, with the online coupon code MOM, gives you 20 percent off your order, while Gourmet Gift Baskets is giving you something delectable and comparable with anywhere from 15 to 25 percent off a wide arrange and array of sweets for your mom.^[9]

If mom isn’t all about flowers or gourmet gifts and wants to keep things on the sweet (healthy) side, Edible Arrangements is another renowned name in deals in delivery for Mother’s Day with sales that range from 20 percent off select orders to gifts for mom that start for the budget conscious group, around $29.^[10]

Jewelry: Kids, spouses alike gravitate toward getting mom some serious sparkle

In addition to eating out at restaurants, jewelry is the crown jewel of Mother’s Day gifts, if you truly want mom to stand out this year.

Again, budgetary reasons in mind, this isn’t always doable for the masses, but luckily jewelry stores are always on hand with smaller-scale purchases that fit just about anyone’s dollar figure they may have in mind.

Retailers like Kay Jewelers are quick to offer discounts on quite a number of pieces for mom, and reward you with larger discounts off larger-ticket items, while Zales is all about a straightforward discount you simply can’t ignore.

Zales is offering in upward of 50 percent off its Mother’s Day selection and free shipping for those who buy online through May 13, while Kay Jewelers has crafted some serious online coupon codes to save on order that range from $450 (including $150 off that to $2,000 ($600 off that price).^[11]

What’s nice is that $450 mark gets you a superb gift and knocks down the price to something more reasonable.

That said, if $300 is still a little rich for your budget, Kay Jewelers also has Mother’s Day gifts that start at just $59.99.^[12]

Zales also touts having plenty of gifts for mom that start at $250 and lower.^[13]

Electronics: She may be ‘mom’ but she could use some tech in her life

Those buying for mom on Mother’s Day might be surprised to learn that she is more interested in becoming more tech savvy than you think or clings to her smart phone or tablet like a handbag, and wouldn’t mind a serious upgrade at either position from one of her kids or spouse.

Yes, she’ll always be your “mom,” but smart phones aren’t just for kids, anymore.

Although 95 percent of the population has a cell phone, roughly 77 percent of those are smart phones.^[14] That means mom is all about her technology, and Verizon, the nation’s largest cell phone provider, is quick to give mom what she wants.

Verizon is offering Mother’s Day sales that are buy one, get one in nature, whether you’re talking about a Samsung Galaxy S9 or an iPhone; you get a $699 credit toward a second phone when you buy an iPhone, for instance.^[15]

If mom loves to read, the Amazon Kindle could be a way to go with the prices dropping quite significantly from one year to the next (and that could be said about tablets, too, in general). The Kindle can be found anywhere from $60 to $140 on Amazon.^[16]

Most moms aren’t going to call you out on Mother’s Day if they feel as though you undercut the $172 to $187 on average price range detailed earlier.

Mom would be happy with a homemade gift, something that is thoughtful but also wouldn’t mind a night off from making dinner for her spouse, maybe a chance to go shopping on a gift card that doesn’t include groceries or perhaps some flowers, candy or a piece of jewelry that reminds her that you didn’t forget about how much she means to you.

According to a new survey, about 40 percent of moms pretend to be enthusiastic about Mother’s Day, specifically what the kids have brought to the table, gift wise.^[17]

That might sound a little harsh from the matriarch of your family, but chances are that 40 percent figure isn’t so much about “faking” as it is mom making sure you know, in her over the top way, that she’s thrilled you simply didn’t forget (yes, we’re calling out you one person out of the five who forgets).

If you think mom is going to disown you for a gift, forget about that.

Instead, get mom something that is poignant, not pricey, and something off her wish list that isn’t going to leave you wishing and hoping you’ll figure out a way to pay for it (or pay it off) in weeks or months.

As for the cost, mom won’t ask.