What do You Spend on Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is this weekend -- what are you planning on doing (and spending) to celebrate?

My wife's mother is deceased, but we send a card and gift card (maybe $25 or so to Walmart) to my mom. We also call her and everyone in the family gets a chance to chat with her.

For my wife, we usually go out to eat on Saturday of Mother's Day weekend at a place she likes (everyone eats out on Sunday, so we beat the crowd by going early.) We also get her a present, though oftentimes she picks it up herself in advance to be sure she gets something she wants (plus the right size, color, style, etc.) The kids also make her cards. And we have desserts at almost every meal that weekend, with the feature being Moose Tracks ice cream. In all we probably spend $75 or so.

So, what are you doing and spending to celebrate Mother's Day this year?

Comments

[EXS]

About $136 on flowers for my mom and a relative who lived with us growing up. Shopping through Chase's rewards shopping site, I got back almost $20. (17% from 1800flowers plus 1% from Chase; rewards are given for purchases, not delivery/tax).

[Toph]

$73 on flowers for my mother & step-mother - $29 each + shipping. Used a promo code to get 15% off from 1800flowers, I've had good luck with them before, although really it depends on the time of year & zip code you are sending to.

Some years I just send a note, or call, some years I send flowers or little gifts (especially if I see a great deal). One year woot had a really good deal on a potted flower which I jumped on.

My moms are mostly just very happy when I call and we catch up.

[Josh Stein]

I'll call my grandmother - sent her a card with a few pictures of the two little ones. We visit the rest of the family (grandma's 1000 miles away) and give cards. We don't really do presents, though I'll give my mother a gift card.

My wife got her present a couple weeks ago in the form of a new bar table for the kitchen I got at IKEA and put together on a day off while she was at work.

[Holly]

Everyone--

Whatever you do, if you are going to order flowers online, check out reviews of the company BEFORE you place the order! Yesterday, I rec'd half-dead flowers in a box delivered by UPS and threw them away this a.m. With this particular company, you won't even know that that is how they deliver since it is buried in the faq section of the site :( Prob. best to order locally and pick up yourself.

Google ("the company's name" + reviews). I didn't have the heart to tell my father and wife how sad the flowers looked!

[Dotty dot dot]

Zip.

My mom's philosophy: "treat me like it's Mother's Day, every day." She doesn't want anything; she just wants to be treated well all year. Done!

[Saving Money Today]

My wife's mom is deceased as well. For my mom we just get a small plant or something, nothing crazy expensive.

[BillV]

My mom loves Godiva white chocolates. I go on line, order about $60, get free shipping(saving $17.50) and my mom gets a treat. Hard to treat everyday as Mothers Day from 400miles away. > ;-}

[Christy]

I spent about $7 this year on a card and a photo CD from the drugstore, which I will send to my mom since we live in different states. I think she will be happy about the picture CD, since I am terrible about emailing them even though I always say I will get around to it. Last year I got her an orchid plant delivered and that was $50-$60 but I don't do that every year.

As for me... I hope my child will give me some peace (she is pre-teen now and we have been butting heads this week) and maybe, just maybe, someone will tidy up the house without me nagging. lol

[Budgeting in the Fun Stuff]

I bought my mom two Double Knockout rose bushes for $28 total since she gushes over mine every time she visits.

My husband and I are also making the 1 hour drive to my parents house this Sunday. Dad is making BBQ for lunch, and I hope to get my mom to pick the locations for her new flowers so I can plant them for her (no mess or thorn scrapes that way).

My husband and I are going over to my in-laws house Saturday evening, he’s cooking dinner (grilled spicy rub chicken) and then we’ll board game or watch movies until they kick us out.

In the past, I’ve bought a digital picture frame ($50), had a personal calendar made with family photos for each month (like $10 at Walmart), had coaster sets made with our wedding pictures on them ($15 each on Ebay), and have bought her a star (it’s in the Orion’s belt…$50). I’ve also leaned back on the oldies-but-goodies with flowers and chocolates and jewelry.

My mom’s a tech hound, so my dad always gets her the expensive gadgets and we kids get to try to come up with sentimental stuff to compete, lol.

[Brent]

Since my wife and I live far away from our parents, we sent them flowers from ProFlowers. They will be delivered Saturday. There are a lot of Mother's Day deals floating around so we thought we would use some of them. However, now I have a little bit of buyer's remorse since the shipping and taxes cost more than the actual flowers and vase. But I guess that's what I get when I wait until the last minute. Next year I'll do more homework and try to find a local florist and save a little money.

[MC]

My mother and grandmothers are deceased. I'll probably call my Dad and in the process wish his new wife "happy mothers' day". (cost: $0)

I'm a mom myself and I'm raising twins. But mothers' day is the weekend day closest to their birthday so we'll probably go out and do something like go the lego store and catch a kids' movie. (cost: $50-$??? for legos).

The twins' father (we're divorced) hasn't spoken to me in years and he never did anything for me on mothers' day even when we were married, so I don't expect him to do anything for me now--LOL!

My sweet boyfriend has been hinting at something....so maybe he'll get me flowers or a card? Like I said, sweet guy!

The twins also usually make me some kind of home made card or hideous pottery thing at school and I'll love getting that! (cost: $0)

[kjaxx]

Cards in the mail to moms and grandmothers. We'll both call our respective mothers on Sunday. If we lived closer to our mothers, maybe some flowers hand delivered. All total the cards and postage probably total around $15-20.

[Mary Kate]

A $100 gift card to my MIL and $100 worth of restaurant gift cards to my mother. I'm not sure what my family has planned for Sunday.

[billyjobob]

My 3 sisters and myself all share in the cost for a health club membership for 1 year. We did it last year too. She likes it and I like it that she gets some exercise throughout the year.

[TMS]

A hundred bucks on food and alcohol for the brunch we're cooking tomorrow. My mom, my in-laws, brother-in law and his in-laws, plus some friends.

Plus the $500 I give my mom every 2 weeks because she's broke. :)

[Matt]

My mom a card and money, MIL card and money, go out to dinner with whoever is available.( my dad had major surgery this year so no visit to them)

When the kid were 4 and 2, nephew was 2 we let my wife, my mom, mother in law, sis in law, sis in laws mother in law, all go out to a nice dinner while grandpa's and fathers watched kids and ate corn beef sandwiches and watched cartoon network.

I just saw tonight several families out with elderly mom tonight. Kind of smart in that not in the big rush and still treating mum.

I guess you need to figure out what is best for you and the family dynamic.