Frugal ways to celebrate Mother's Day

Mother's Day is only a week away. Have you decided how you're going to celebrate your mom? How about how you're going to help your children celebrate mom? With all the holidays through the year, buying gifts for every one of them can put a strain on a family's budget. But moms work hard, after all, and should be celebrated. What do you do if you want to do something special but can't fork over a lot of cash? Here are some meaningful gift ideas that will make Mom smile and won't put a dent in the budget.

• Ham it up in front of the camera. Last year (my first as a mother), all I wanted was a picture of my husband and son together that I could frame. It didn't have to be a professional picture. I can snap a pretty darn good picture myself when given the chance. It just had to be a frameworthy shot of the two of them together. I got my wish, and it's my absolute favorite picture of all time. For mothers whose children are grown up and gone, a picture of all the kids together would be especially meaningful.
• Go for a picnic. Seriously, why has this fallen out of fashion? Picnics are such fun. The meal doesn't have to be elaborate, but do make it yourself. Mom shouldn't have to prepare the meal for her own picnic.
• Give coupons. No, not for $1 off Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Send those coupons to me. Create some coupons that would really benefit her. Coupons for breakfast in bed, a mani/pedi from the kids (or an adoring husband), a massage, a carwash would be great choices to include in a coupon book for mom.
• Give her a movie night. Do you know what Mom's favorite movie is? Get the DVD, some packages of microwave popcorn, her favorite candy or chocolate and a couple of her favorite sodas and put them together in a Movie Night basket. She can enjoy it on a night when the kids go to bed early or altogether as a family.
• Give her your time. If you're an adult and your mom is still living, she'd probably appreciate just a day of your time. Look through old photo albums, cook her a meal, take her out or just talk.

Whatever you do, make sure your mom knows how special she is. Looking for more ideas? Check out this list from Budget101.

Do you have some frugal ideas for celebrating Mother's Day? Share them in the comments.

Photo courtesy Afriadi Hikmal, via Flickr