How to Get Deals on Mother’s Day Gifts

Mark your calendar: Mother’s Day is May 10. That means you still have time to come up with something to show your appreciation for all the hard work that moms do.

Plenty of families will splurge on gifts, spending an average of nearly $175, according to the National Retail Foundation’s 2015 Mother’s Day Spending Survey. That’s the highest amount in the survey’s 12-year history. As the mother of three children, I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t like getting gifts on Mother’s Day. But I certainly don’t expect my family to spend that much money on me.

In fact, many moms don’t want their families to break the bank buying gifts for them. A recent survey by cash-back shopping site Ebates.com found that 35% of moms think their families should spend between $20 and $50 on them; 21% say their families should spend $20 or less; and 19% say their families shouldn’t spend anything on Mother’s Day gifts. In fact, the top gift moms want for Mother’s Day is quality time with their families, according to the Ebates.com survey.

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If you are planning on buying something for your mom, there are several ways to show her your appreciation without blowing your budget. Here’s how to get deals on the most popular gifts for moms.

Apparel. About 36% of consumers plan to give clothing as a Mother’s Day gift this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Fortunately, now is a great time to get a deal on spring apparel because retailers are trying to clear out their inventory to make room for summer clothes, says consumer expert Andrea Woroch. Head straight to the sale racks and clearance sections of your mom’s favorite stores for discounts of 40%, she says. Also use an app such as Coupon Sherpa or RetailMeNot to find coupons to use at checkout (just show the barcode on your smartphone to the store clerk) or look for coupon codes at Web sites such as CouponPal.com, Rather-Be-Shopping.com and Savings.com.

For bargains on high-end brands, DealScience.com, which analyzes historical sales data to predict future deals, found that the deepest discounts should be found at 6pm.com, Amazon.com, Neiman Marcus Last Call and Nordstrom Rack.

Gift cards. If you know what your mom’s favorite store is but don’t want to take a chance buying the wrong thing, get her a gift card for that retailer. You can save money by buying gift cards that sell for less than face value at sites such as Gift Card Granny or CardHub.com, which aggregate prices from several resellers of discount gift cards. You can buy gift cards for hundreds of national retailers at a discount because these sites buy the cards for less than face value from consumers who don’t want them. See How to Buy Discount Gift Cards for more information.

Flowers. Local florists and the supermarket are the way to go for flowers on Mother's Day, says Melissa King, founder of ThisMommySavesMoney.com. Local florists tend to run amazing deals on flowers around Mother's Day, such as an arrangement that included a vase and delivery that King found for $20. The same arrangement online was $59.99, she says. You can find bouquets at the supermarket starting at about $10, but don’t wait until the last minute to buy one because the selection might be limited, she says. Go the Saturday before Mother’s Day so you’re not stuck on Sunday morning choosing from the leftover flowers.

Jewelry. After Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day is the third most popular holiday for jewelry sales, Woroch says. With demand high, don’t expect to find a lot of deals at jewelry stores. However, you can find low prices elsewhere. Look for unique pieces at online marketplace Etsy.com, where Woroch says she’s found necklaces and earrings for a fraction of department store prices. King recommends shopping for jewelry at warehouse clubs such as BJ's Wholesale, Costco and Sam’s Club, where she says you’ll pay up to 40% less than at jewelry stores. Flash-sale sites such as MyHabit and Rue La La that offer deeply discounted items for a limited period of time have some of the best prices on designer jewelry and watches, according to DealScience.com research.

Kitchenware. If your mom wants a new blender, mixer, food processor or bakeware, you’re in luck because these items will be marked down during Mother’s Day sales going on now through next weekend. Look for discounts of up to 30%, says FatWallet.com shopping expert Brent Shelton. Woroch recommends looking for bargains on small kitchen appliances at warehouse clubs and Overstock.com.

Restaurant meals. Woroch says that you can cut the cost of taking your mom out to brunch or dinner by scoring a discount for a restaurant on a daily deal site such as Groupon or Living Social, or by buying a discount restaurant certificate at Restaurant.com or a discount restaurant gift card at Cardpool.com. Also check FatWallet's Local Deals page for food and drink offerings in your area.

Spa treatments. A day at the spa was among the most popular gift choices of the moms surveyed by Ebates.com. Massages, facials and other treatments can be pricey, but you can save by scouring daily deal sites including Plum District for discounted spa packages. Woroch recommends checking Gift Card Granny for Spa Finder gift cards, which can be used at 22,000 locations across the country.