11 Ideas for a Wallet-Free Mother's Day

Got a Super-Mom in your life? Show her some love, even though your bank account isn’t showing you much these days. Here’s how to have a cheap and cheerful Mother's Day. Making cards is a great place to start but here are a few more creative tips that will definitely get Mom smiling on her special day.

1. Clip coupons. Coupons aren’t just for the grocery store – make Mom a coupon book, chock full of choices that she’ll definitely redeem. Some ideas to get you started:
   • Laundry service
   • Five free sessions of bed making
   • A homemade dinner of her liking
   • Food shopping
   • An all-expenses paid trip to the nail salon
2. Breakfast in bed. Scour your pantry and fridge and see what you can come up with to throw together a Sunday morning breakfast. Keep in mind what her faves are (does she like coffee? OJ? Pancakes? Eggs?) and put it together on a tray or plate and serve Mom in bed. Talk about deluxe service!
3. Get planting. Spring has sprung – but chances are your home garden hasn’t yet. It’s not too late! Do a little research online and pick a few things that you’d like to plant. For some veggies, you can plant the seeds after eating them. Wildflowers and daffodils are also a great place to start. Otherwise, you may have to stop by your nearest home goods or plant-selling store and pick up a few seeds (they cost a few cents, we promise!). If your Mom is the green-thumb type, she’ll love to start planting a small herb or vegetable garden with you. You can spend some time together and you’ll jump start her new garden for the spring and summer. Hint: Herbs and wildflowers are a great, easy, and cheap place to start. Just a little dig, sprinkle the seeds, and done!
4. Hit the trails. Is your Mom a hiker? Find local hiking trails or wildlife sanctuaries online, pack some snacks and take a hike!
5. Team up to give time. Think of a cause that your Mom cares about or that you think she might be into. Causes that affect women and kids are a great place to start. Look for local volunteer opportunities nearby and contact someone at the organization or center beforehand to make sure they could use a few volunteers on Sunday. Nursing homes, animal shelters, and homeless shelters are a great place to start thinking about.
6. Park yourselves at the park. If your Mom isn’t much of the walking, hiking, running type, the outdoors is still a great place to spend some time. Head to a nearby park and grab a seat on a bench for a good chat. Bring along some coffee, tea, or pack a picnic.
7. Queen for a day. Sometimes the best gift is letting Mom relax. At the beginning of the day, present her with a homemade card and let her know that you’ll be taking over all the Mom-jobs for the day. Starting with making breakfast, lunch and dinner for the family and extras like cleaning the house, getting your brothers and sisters ready for the week at school and making sure your homework is finished and ready to go. If you think your Mom needs a day to herself, offer to take the other kids out for the day and let her relax. But try to spend Sunday night together as a family, Moms love that!
8. Go to the movies, at home. Does Mom have a few favorite DVDs that you have around the house? Make some snacks, pull some drinks out of the fridge and declare a family movie afternoon or night. If you don't have any vids on hand, think about a show that your Mom likes to watch that you normally groan about, and watch it with her on Mother's Day or the next week.
9. Go collage-crazy. Got some pics lying around the house that you think Mom might appreciate or want to hang up but hasn’t had the time? Gather them up (enlist the helps of your bro or sis if you have siblings) and cut the photos out and paste them together in a fun collage. Decorate the collage in creative ways using arts and crafts supplies you have around the house. Note: If the pics aren’t yours (if they’re moms or dads or someone else in the family) get their permission before you cut them up!! Or sneak them out of the house and ask a teacher to help you make a few photocopies of them at school. Then, cut the copies and return the original pictures to their place.
10. Memory lane. Did you have a favorite place in town that Mom used to take you when you were a kid? Playground, pond, swing set, museum, park? Head back there with Mom on Mother's Day and chat about when you were little or anything that's on your mind.
11. Tourist-for-a-day. You probably have no idea about all the fun and free things there are to do near you, so put on your tourist-thinking cap and make like you’re just visiting your city or town for the day. Research free museums (there are tons!), zoos, and other tourist attractions in your area and see what fits your Mom the best (does she love art, and exploring new things or does she prefer animals and the outdoors?) Plan an outing to one of these places on Mother’s Day.