With Mother’s Day less than two weeks away, it may be time to start thinking about a gift for her! While I know many of us, myself included, are tempted to go all-out for our mothers, we needn’t forget that there are a number of ways we can show her we care without breaking the bank. Here are just a few of those ways, none of which should cost more than $30:

• Live plant: flowers are a traditional mother’s day gift, but boquets are expensive and don’t last a long time. Why not buy your mother a beautiful plant which will last much longer with only little care required? Rhododendrons are usually a good bet, as well as tulips and orchids. Try to buy a perennial plant, which will survive through a number of years, rather an an annual or biannual plant which won’t last as long.

• Breakfast in bed. This is a traditional one, and why not continue it? It will cost you at most $20 to buy all of the ingredients at the grocery store to make her an amazing breakfast. One website I absolutely adore for finding great recipes is tastespotting.com. You’ll be bound to find something amazing to make her there.

• T-shirt and mug. This one works especially well if you have children, as you can put their photos on the items. There are a number of print shops that will take your photos and print them on t-shirts and mugs, so why not give your mother something sentimental like that? If you haven’t got children of your own, I would recommend you use one of your own childhood pictures because, well, lets face it, we were all much cuter when we weren’t full-grown! Wrap it up nicely and this sentimental gift shouldn’t cost more than about $25.

• A few high-quality chocolates. Giving your mom a little indulgence is a great way to make her feel special. Make sure you’re buying very good quality however: think Godiva as opposed to Purdy’s. You don’t need to buy many: at Godiva 8 chocolates costs around $16 after taxes, and the high quality means you don’t need to buy many. Most moms don’t treat themselves to such things, so it will be twice as special for her.

• A nice fruit basket. You can make these yourself for relatively cheap. You just need to do it pretty close to Mother’s Day. Find some fruit that’s just ripe one or two days before mother’s day. A pineapple is a must, as well as kiwis, magoes, cantelope and honeydew if you can find them. Small fruits, such as strawberries, go well in a little bowl as well. Wrap it up nicely, add a nice card and (if you’ve got one) frame a photo of yourself and your mom.

Just because it’s mother’s day doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. Most mothers appreciate the sentimental stuff even more so than they do the material. Let your mom know you love her with one of these ideas and you won’t be breaking your budget either.

Popularity: 9% [?]