Mother’s Day is a very special time to appreciate all the important mamas in our lives, but that doesn’t have to mean that we spend a fortune on it. Especially if we can’t afford to. It’s absolutely possible to make a big deal out of Mother’s Day without spending a lot of money! In this post I’m going to give you 5 frugal Mother’s Day ideas to get you started.

5 FRUGAL MOTHER’S DAY IDEAS

These frugal Mother’s Day ideas are designed to help you have a wonderful Mother’s Day in an affordable way.

Please know that I’m not trying to tell you to skimp out on your mom.

Instead, I’m trying to help you shift your focus away from expensive gifts and towards what really matters – making mom feel special, cherished, and appreciated.

These frugal Mother’s Day tips work for any mama in your life – mother, wife, sister, best friend. All moms should be celebrated!

Here are the top 5 frugal Mother’s Day ideas.

SKIP THE RESTAURANT

Instead of taking the whole tribe out to a fancy restaurant on Mother’s Day, gather at home.

In my family, my mother gets together with my sister and I (and our respective husband’s and children).

We gather in one of our homes and each of us brings a little something to eat.

We don’t have a big meal. Just something like sandwiches, salad and brownies. It’s tasty, but also easy and cheap, so win – win – win.

Of course, you could make and serve any type of food that your family likes.

Please keep in mind that this absolutely does not have to mean making mom cook on Mother’s Day.

Food can be prepared ahead of time or made entirely by all the non-moms in your tribe.

But keep in mind that a delicious meal does not have to be expensive.

HAVE BREAKFAST

What could be better than breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day?

Even if it’s not in bed, starting your day with a celebration is always a good idea.

There are some great benefits of a celebration breakfast too.

First, it’s cheap.

Breakfast foods are notoriously inexpensive. Think eggs, pancake batter, bagels… all low priced.

Second, it’s easy.

It’s hard to mess up breakfast and husbands and children combined should be able to handle it just fine.

My husband is not into cooking, but he is a scrambled egg master. If he can do it, anyone can.

This could work with a larger family gathering too.

Someone can bring bagels or muffins. Someone can make coffee and tea. And someone else can make a tray of scrambled eggs and toast.

I know it’s not fancy, but it could be really fun.

DIY A GIFT

I’m sure mom wouldn’t complain about a fancy, expensive gift.

But most moms would be even more excited about something sentimental that was crafted with care and came from the heart.

I know my mom does.

And it’s what I want too.

There are about a million options for DIY Mother’s Day gifts on the internet. Just go check out this amazing tool called Pinterest.

You can make a collage of photos from memories you’ve made together. You could start planting the garden she’s been meaning to get to.

If you have a specific skill, you could use that. Maybe you could knit a blanket for her. Or if you’re handy, maybe you could fix a problem she’s been having around the house.

And an idea that is always a favorite is a coupon book of tasks you’ll complete for her at whatever time she chooses.

Think carefully about who the gift is for and what would mean something to them.

JUST GIVE HER A BREAK

99 out of 100 moms surveyed admitted that what they really want for Mother’s Day is a break!

Just kidding. There wasn’t an actual survey.

But if there was, I’m pretty sure that’s what the results would be.

Mom is busting her butt all day, every day, and she would love a chance to have a little time alone with no work to do.

Give her some alone time.

Let her take a bath, or read a book, or watch her favorite trashy TV show, without having to wrangle any children, or clean up a mess, or solve a crisis.

Let her relax.

And while you could totally do this by giving her a day at a spa or something equally luxurious, you could also just let her go in a room by herself while you clean up the house and make sure no one bothers her.

Oh, also, let her sleep in. Mama wants sleep.

FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS

And what matters is making mom feel loved.

When you look back on this day together, no one is thinking about the expensive gifts they received or the fancy places they went.

What they’re thinking about is how they felt.

So, go out of your way to make her feel special.

Tell her what she means to you. Point out specific instances that you remember of her helping you, guiding you, lifting you up, and comforting you this year.

Tell her the specific attributes that you appreciate about her.

You could write it down in her card or in a letter. Or you could pull her aside as tell her.

Hands down, this is the thing that moms want the most.

HAVE A HAPPY FRUGAL MOTHER’S DAY

Now you have the ideas you needed to enjoy Mother’s Day affordably this year.

Skip the restaurant and have a lovely meal at home this year. Try having a celebration breakfast, it’s yummy, cheap, and a great way to start the day. Make your own thoughtful gift for mom instead of buying something expensive that she doesn’t even want. Focus on what really matters on Mother’s Day which is making mom feel loved and appreciated. And please, give mom a break.

Have a great, frugal Mother’s Day!

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Keep Reading! Here are some of my best posts about saving money:

7 Frugal Habits to save you Thousands

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How to Talk to your Friends about Money

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You can read more about my story here: A Spender and A Saver Fall in Love