ALT-3 Mothers Day on a Budget Simple Gifts for Mom
Some of the best gifts are the simplest and the least expensive. You do not have to spend hundreds of dollars to let your mom know you love her.
One of the best gifts you can give your mom is time. If you live near your mom set up a date with her. You don't have to do anything lavish and spend tons of money taking her out to the best restaraunt in town. Simply spending the day with her walking around a park, talking and enjoying nature is a great way to spend the day. Is there something she enjoys doing? Do that activity with her. It will be more meaningful to her than some knick-knack for her house.
Another way to treat your mom is with the gift of a clean house, courtesy of you. This costs you no money, it only takes time. Clean the house from top to bottom, it will be much appreciated. Cleaning your mom's car may also be a great gift. Many moms do not have the time to get their car cleaned regularly. Clean out all the trash, vacuum the inside and wash it so it's nice and shiny. If you want to go an extra step wax it.
If your mom is in to gardening offer to plant flowers for her or do some other chore in the yard while she takes a break and relaxes. The idea is to do something for your mom that will give her a break and give her time to do something she really enjoys but rarely gets to do whether that be taking a long, relaxing bubble bath, reading that book she's been wanting to read forever or even just taking a nap or watching her favorite TV program.
If you want to treat your mom to food you don't have to take her to a fancy restaurant, pack a picnic lunch and head out to a great spot where you can enjoy her company and nature. Or if eating outside is not her thing, offer to cook her dinner, this is often way cheaper than taking her out to eat and it will probably mean more to her because by cooking the meal yourself you are putting a lot of effort and love into it. You can make a stay-at-home dinner just as nice as going to a fancy restaraunt, light some candles, put some flowers on the table, use the tablecloth and placemats and take out the good china.
Another great and often overlooked inexpensive gift is the home-made card or present. Many people are under the impression that these are things only children give, but adults can make home-made cards and gifts too and they are great! They show that you took the time to make something special. It takes a lot more time and effort to make a card then to run into Hallmark and pick one out. Homemade gifts and cards are treasured and even if they are not perfect your mom will love it because it comes from you and is something that you created.
