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Last Updated on August 18, 2020 by Remonia
Mothers, where would we be without them? They’re one of the most valuable people in our lives. They make so many sacrifices for us. All they want for us is success and all they need from us is our love.
Mother’s Day is a day when we all go above and beyond to do everything we can to show our mothers they are the number one mom in the world.
This may mean buying them a cookbook they’ve always wanted, a skin care gift set, taking them on a weekend getaway, giving them a spa treatment and the list goes on.
But, while it’s nice we want to treat our mothers like a queen on that special day, we won’t always have the money to get her a gift. So, If you’re wondering what to get mom for Mother’s Day when you’re broke, keep reading.
1. Whip up a Cake
Hey, who says you can’t have a cake for mother’s day?
Find your mother’s favorite cake recipe and bake her a cake.
If you’re short on ingredients, switch from making a cake to making two to three cupcakes.
2. Style Her Hair
Give mommy a nice little updo. What’s that one style your mom always said she wanted that you know you’ll be able to pull off? Think about it.
But before the styling begins, give mom the full salon experience by cleansing, deep conditioning, detangling and moisturizing her hair.
And be extra generous by giving her a scalp massage too.
3. Bring Her Flowers
Getting mom flowers on her special day is almost always something you would do even if you already had a set of other gifts you wanted to spoil her with.
But if money is tight and you still want to get her flowers, you can either pick a few from your garden, ask neighbors for ones they have available or make them by using tissue paper, scrapbook paper or crepe paper.
Your mother will appreciate flowers whether they are fake or real.
Check out some of these paper flower creations just in case you can’t get real flowers:
4. Make Her Breakfast in Bed
Give your mother the royal treatment she deserves. Instead of letting her get out of bed to make her own breakfast, serve her breakfast in bed.
Breakfast is a painless meal that you can easily put together, but take the time to wow her with something mouth-watering.
Consider her favorite breakfast recipes and create something similar.
However, if you want to prepare something new, pick one of these delicious recipes:
5. Have Mother’s Day Brunch Right at Home
No money, no problem. A mother’s day brunch is more special when you take the time to cook for your mom.
Focus on her favorite foods and treat mommy to a meal she won’t be too quick to forget.
Brunch can consist of a mix of savory and sweet meals.
To help you get started with some ideas, take a look at these recipes:
6. A Manicure and Pedicure
Mommy’s hands and feet have worked tirelessly over the years for you so you could be comfortable.
Now it’s time to show her hands and feet some love with a manicure and pedicure.
All you need is a manicure set or a nail care kit, a bowl, warm water, soap, foot scrubber, moisturizer and towels to pull off the best manicure and pedicure treatment your mother has ever gotten.
Go the extra mile and end both treatments with a 10-15 minute massage.
7. Have a Photoshoot
Turn the day into a photo session. You only need your phone, a great spot to take some photos and big smiles from you and mom.
So, get dressed up, snap some photos and have fun while you’re doing it.
You can later use the photos to quickly create a slideshow for you and mom to watch.
8. Give Her a Break From Her Daily Duties
Be the superhero for the day and take over mom chores.
Wash, cook, clean, iron. Do it all.
Allow mommy to sit back and relax. It’s her time to take the day off.
Experience the hard work that she has to put in every day to keep everyone happy and clean .
9. Ask Her What She Would Like
Whether they want to admit this, some mommies are very picky and this makes it difficult for us to figure out what they really want.
Therefore, the best way to give them what they want is to ask them. They may need help with making over a bathroom, organizing their pantry, repainting a room, you name it.
It would make sense to ask her what she wants beforehand so you can be prepared to handle her request.
10. Have a Picnic
Repay your mom with a picnic for her love and support.
Obviously, having a picnic cannot come close to paying her for half the things she has done for you, but it’s an amazing gesture.
So, get out your picnic basket, stock it with tasty food and have a blast with mom where ever you have your picnic.
Make sure to take some photos.
11. Make a Mother’s Day Card
Getting mom a gift for her special day doesn’t have to cost you anything.
And making a card for her is a classic way to show her you love.
Need help to come up with an idea for your mother’s day card? Use these as inspiration:
12. Surprise Your Mother With a Homemade Skin Care Gift
Body butter, body scrub, face mask, lip scrub, lip balm, bath bombs, face toner, eye cream and moisturizer.
You can make all these skin care gifts using what you have at home.
Remember to look out for ingredients that may irritate your mother’s skin.
13. Organize a Room or Area in the House
Organize a space in the house for mom.
This can be her pantry, laundry room, bathroom, or any other area she may have a problem with.
Remove everything from the area you want to clean, then get rid of any items she no longer needs before starting the cleaning and organizing process.
This gift definitely will not cost you a dime because all you have to do is use what you have and be creative.
14. Do a Video Call
Sometimes mother’s just want to know we acknowledge them and that means the world to them.
Show your mama you adore her by spending the day with her.
If you can’t make it to your mom for mother’s day, celebrate her over a video chat all day long.
You can use apps like Facetime, WhatsApp, and Skype to make your calls.
15. Make a Coupon Book
I don’t know about you, but I prefer giving mama homemade mother’s day gifts half of the time because they mean more to her than a store-bought one.
And one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give to her is time away from tasks she hates and those she can’t find enough time to get done.
So, the best way you can do this is by creating a coupon book with all the tasks she hates doing.
When the time comes for her to do those tasks, she can use the coupons to have you do the tasks instead.
This might seem like a childish idea, but it’s brilliant.
16. Give Her some Time to Sleep
A mother’s job is never done.
They work right around the clock, which means they barely get the recommended sleep they need to re-energize their bodies.
And sleep is a precious commodity your mother needs.
Therefore, give her the gift of sleep.
Let her spend the day to sleep if she wants.
17. Write Her a Song
Now tell me, Which mama wouldn’t like a song about them?
All you need is a chorus and a verse or two and you’re good to go.
Rehearse the night before so you can give it your all on her special day.
18. Write Her a Personal Letter
When it comes on to gifts that don’t cost a penny, you can’t get more personal than writing your mom a letter.
Point out all the reasons you love and appreciate her and make sure she knows why you nominated her as the world’s greatest mom.
19. Bookmark
For the book reading mama who loves reading the traditional way, bookmarks are amazing.
Help mom to put a pause on her reading with a bookmark so she can easily pick up where she left off the next time she sits to read her book.
She would go crazy over these designs:
20. Free Online Cooking Classes
Celebrate the woman you love by getting her some cooking classes.
If she has a passion for cooking, then nothing will make her happier than joining a few classes to upgrade her cooking skills or just to learn something new.
Whether it is sweet, savoury or spicy meals, there’s a class out there for every mama.
Perfect your skills with these free cooking Classes:
21. Create a Crossword Puzzle
If your mother is a puzzle lover, create a puzzle for her.
Make a list of things you love about her then turn that list of words into a puzzle.
She will not only love the puzzle but the thought that went into creating it.
22. Treasure Hunt
If you have lots of candy or treats at home use them for a treasure hunt.
You can wrap each treat with either a word that can be used to describe your mother or sentence stating what you love about her.
For the hunting part, you can create riddles if you’re any good at them or play near and far (Hot and cold).
Near and far was one of my favorites games to play when I was at primary school (elementary school).
My teacher would hide treats all over the class while we closed our eyes, then when it was time to find them she would say how near or far away we were from the treat.
This game is a lot of fun and I know your mother will enjoy it.
23. fACIAL
Help mom to relieve some of the tension in her face and bring back some life into her skin by giving her a facial.
Only use her skin care products to do this to prevent any unwanted allergic reactions.
24. bIBLE vERSES
For the religious mama, spend some time going over verses that talk about love with your mama.
Even if you’re not religious, make the effort to read the Bible with her.
You would absolutely make her day.
Conclusion
Mothers work right around the clock to make sure we are comfortable.
And one of the greatest things we can do to repay them for their love and support is to offer them homemade gifts.
Getting mom a gift for her special day doesn’t have to cost you a penny. So, when you’re trying to figure out what to get mom for Mother’s Day when you’re broke, use one of the ideas I mentioned.
What homemade gift idea is your favorite? Please let me know below in the comment section.
And please remember to share this post.
May 2021, the month in which Mothers are celebrated and the world is still in lock down. These are very relevant and easy to do ideas… Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Taishan! It’s good to always stick with ideas that are timeless when it comes on to Mother’s Day.
Wow, these are such amazing ideas for Mother’s Day, whether you’re broke or not! My favorites are definitely doing her hair, mother’s day brunch at home, and a picnic. I will definitely be referring back to this for next year, and I know my mom will love it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading Cassie, I’m happy you love these ideas. It’s great finding other ways to make our mother’s feel special without having to buy something.