• Mortgages
    Compare Lenders
    • Mortgage rates
    • Refinance rates
    • Mortgage lender reviews
    Use Calculators
    • Mortgage calculator
    • How much house can you afford?
    • Mortgage refinance calculator
    • Mortgage payment calculator
    • Amortization calculator
    • All mortgage calculators
    Get Advice
    • Reverse mortgages
    • Home buying guide
    • Refinance your mortgage
    • First-time homebuyer tips
    • FHA loans
  • Banking
    Compare Accounts
    • CD rates
    • No Penalty CD
    • Savings accounts
    • Money market accounts
    • Checking accounts
    • Bank ratings
    Use Calculators
    • Savings calculator
    • CD calculator
    • Compound savings calculator
    • All banking calculators
    Get Advice
    • How to save money
    • Federal Reserve news
    • What is a money market account?
    • Which certificate of deposit account is best?
    • How to open a savings account
    • Credit union basics
    Bank Reviews
    • Capital One Bank
    • Marcus by Goldman Sachs
    • American Express National Bank
    • CIT Bank
    • Synchrony Bank
    • Barclays Bank
  • Credit Cards
    Compare by Category
    • Best Credit Cards of 2019
    • Rewards
    • Travel
    • Airline
    • Cash Back
    • No Annual Fee
    • Balance Transfer
    • 0% APR
    • Business
    • Student
    Compare by Credit Needed
    • Excellent Credit
    • Good Credit
    • Fair Credit
    • Bad Credit
    • No Credit History
    • Secured Credit Cards
    Compare by Issuer
    • American Express
    • Bank of America
    • Capital One
    • Chase
    • Citi
    • Discover
    • Wells Fargo
    Get Advice
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Credit Card Payoff Calculator
    • Balance Transfer Calculator
    • All Credit Card Calculators
  • Loans
    Compare Lenders
    • Personal loan rates
    • Auto loan rates
    Loan Types
    • Personal loans
    • Auto loans
    • Debt consolidation loans
    • Home improvement loans
    • Student loans
    • Medical loans
    • Bad credit loans
    Use Calculators
    • Loan calculator
    • Auto loan calculator
    • Personal loan calculator
    • Auto refinance calculator
    • Loan payment calculator
    • Student loan calculator
    • All calculators
    Get Advice
    • Student loans guide
    • Refinancing student loans
    • Refinancing personal loans
    • Refinancing auto loans
    • How to get a personal loan
    • Personal loan origination fees
  • Investing
    Compare
    • IRA CD rates
    • Brokerage accounts
    • Brokerage reviews
    Use Calculators
    • Investment calculator
    • Annuity calculator
    • 401(K) calculator
    • Roth IRA calculator
    • All retirement calculators
    • All investing calculators
    Brokerage Reviews
    • WellsTrade Review
    • Robinhood Review
    • Merrill Edge Review
    • Vanguard Review
    • Fidelity Review
    • E*Trade Review
    Get Advice
    • Creating passive income
    • Mutual fund vs. ETF
    • Roth IRA vs. traditional IRA
    • What type of CD is best?
    • IRA basics
  • Home Equity
    Compare Lenders
    • Home equity loan rates
    Use Calculators
    • Should you borrow from Home Equity
    • HELOC Calculator
    • Debt consolidation calculator
    • HELOC payoff calculator
    • All home equity calculators
    Get Advice
    • What is a home equity loan?
    • HELOC vs. Home equity loan
    • Consolidate your debt using home equity
    • Home equity loans with bad credit
  • Personal Finance
    Compare
    • Current interest rates
    • Compare rates
    Use Calculators
    • Debt consolidation calculator
    • Net worth calculator
    • Personal finance calculators
    • Cost of living calculator
    • All calculators
    Get Advice
    • Retirement advice
    • Debt management
    • Improve your credit score
    • Career resources
    • Tax advice
    • Insurance basics
    • Real estate tips
    • Personal finance glossary
  • Free credit report
  • Sign In
  • Dashboard
  • Full Credit Report
  • Alerts
  • Settings
  • Support
  • Logout
Share

Shop smart for 6 popular Mother’s Day gifts

Marcia Passos Duffy
May 6, 2014  in  Smart Money

1 of 6

Be a good kid and a shrewd shopper
Be a good kid and a shrewd shopper

You love your mom. And in case you didn’t remember, Mother’s Day is mere days away.

But before you splurge on a gift — such as a day at a spa, a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant, a box of those dark chocolates she loves or even a coveted gadget such as an e-reader — make sure you know exactly what you’re buying.

“It’s important to do research on the gift so that your mom won’t be disappointed with poor service or a product that doesn’t arrive on time,” suggests Katherine Hutt, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau.

Here are some Mother’s Day ideas your mom might appreciate — and smart shopping tips to make sure the gift will make her day.

The Bankrate Daily

2 of 6

Spa gifts: Give Mom the pampering she deserves
Spa gifts: Give Mom the pampering she deserves

Could Mom use a little pampering? A perfect gift might be a spa certificate. You could buy one either locally, for a specific spa or through an online service such as SpaFinder.com, which offers certificates accepted at spas nationwide.

Make sure the spa is exactly what she’d want and expect, warns Hutt.

“There’s a day spa in our area where everyone walks around in the nude. That may not be an atmosphere your mother wants,” Hutt says. She suggests you get recommendations from your mom’s friends, or try the spa yourself.

Spa gift certificates can be for a monetary amount (such as $100 for any spa service) or for a particular service (a facial or half-hour Swedish massage). Remember, Mom will need cash for the tip, which is rarely included in the certificate.

As in all gift certificates, note whether there’s an expiration date. “Moms will often put off getting pampered, and sadly sometimes the gift certificate can expire before it gets used,” says Hutt.

And if the spa goes out of business, your mother may be out of luck. “She’ll have to wait in line with all the other creditors to get the money,” Hutt notes.

3 of 6

The dish on restaurant cards, certificates
The dish on restaurant cards, certificates

A gift card or gift certificate to Mom’s favorite restaurant can be a delicious Mother’s Day surprise.

Plastic gift cards are typically issued by large chain restaurants in whatever amount you choose. They’re not allowed to expire for at least five years from purchase, under a Federal Trade Commission rule.

Paper gift certificates are typically for local restaurants and may be offered through online services such as Restaurant.com. Gift certificates sold online often mean big discounts such as a $25 certificate that costs only $10.

But the certificates may be no good on holidays — including Mother’s Day — and Mom might have to make a minimum purchase at the restaurant or cough up a mandatory tip. “You don’t want (your mom) to have to pay this … after presenting the card,” notes online shopping expert Frank DeBlasi, co-founder of deals site HooplaDoopla.com.

Don’t buy a restaurant gift certificate unless you know your mom will use it, adds Jodi Furman, owner and blogger at upscale-living-on-a-budget website LivefabuLESS.com. “She might get far more mileage and enjoyment out of a Starbucks or more ‘everyday’ restaurant than a fancy French restaurant where the number of forks intimidates her.”

4 of 6

Be knowledgeable when buying Mom a gizmo
Be knowledgeable when buying Mom a gizmo

Why should Dad get all the cool toys? Mom might love an electronic gadget such as a Nook, Kindle Fire or an iPad. While a high-tech device might seem like an impersonal gift, you can warm it up by having her initials or name engraved on it, or by buying her a monogrammed case.

Most large retail stores will give deep discounts on mom-centric electronics in the days and weeks prior to Mother’s Day, says Furman. So check around now. Expect big retailers to match their competitors’ prices. “Just bring in the competitor’s ad, and get a price match,” she says.

When shopping for electronics online, make sure it’s a reputable site, says Hutt. “There are a lot of look-alike sites that mimic larger websites. … They even put a BBB logo on it to fool people,” she says.

Warning signs of a fake site are spelling and grammatical errors, prices that seem too good to be true, an email address that doesn’t match up to the URL of the website, or a lack of toll-free numbers. “Some of these sites don’t have goods at all, they are just trying to get your credit card number,” says Hutt.

5 of 6

Chocolates? Flowers?
Chocolates? Flowers?

Two very traditional Mother’s Day gifts are chocolates and flowers. But today’s calorie-conscious moms might tell you to save your money on the sweets. “I certainly don’t want a 2-pound box of chocolates!” says Hutt.

So, you could give your mother just a few of the best chocolates you can afford, and couple the gift with a nice bouquet of flowers.

If you do choose flowers, stay away from the “petal pushers,” Hutt’s name for flower sellers who sprout up around holidays then quickly fade away.

“These flowers may look expensive, and they may even cost a lot, but they are second- or third-rate,” she says, meaning they will not last very long in a vase.

Instead, order directly from a local florist or nursery, or use a major delivery service such as FTD, 1-800-Flowers.com or Teleflora. Look for free-shipping deals these companies may offer for Mother’s Day, advises DeBlasi.

“Most important, watch the deadlines on these deals,” he says. “Although (flowers) make great last-minute gift ideas, last-minute rushed shipping can be costly to get it to the recipient.”

6 of 6

Fruit baskets: Only Mom should be spoiled
Fruit baskets: Only Mom should be spoiled

Better for the waistline than chocolates are fruit gift baskets. For a personal touch — and to save money — put together a basket yourself with the freshest fruits and berries from a farmers market or high-quality organic or natural grocery store. If you’re short on time, you could order a basket online.

“With fruit baskets, you get what you pay for,” says Hutt. To ensure the fruit is fresh, she suggests ordering from places with solid reputations in gift baskets such as Harry & David or Edible Arrangements.

Get discounts by scouting around for online coupon codes from these companies, says Furman, who also suggests shopping Amazon.com for fruit-basket deals. But she says the big, national florists may not be your best option when buying fruit. Their offerings can be expensive and can come with a lot of fees.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, so you’ll want to make sure you get your fruit gift basket Friday or Saturday. Place your order as early as you can, Hutt says. “A lot of complaints for holiday purchases have to do with things being delivered late.”

Related Links:
  • 4 steps to protect a windfall
  • Are you and your honey a money match?
  • 5 smart ways to cut smartphone costs
Related Articles:
  • Best iPhone financial apps
  • 6 energy savers for home
  • Before you toss, appraise

More On Mother's Day Gift Ideas:
  • 5 thrifty Mother's Day surprises
  • 5 gifts for a retired mom
  • 4 easy ways to buy gift cards for less

You may also like

  • The 10 best and real work-at-home jobs

  • 7 legal ways to make money with your body

  • Capital gains tax on real estate

  • States with no income tax: Better or worse to live there?

  • 7 things that could turn off homebuyers

  • 5 dirt-cheap home-staging ideas

Related Articles

  • Find the deepest discounts on furniture, jewelry and more in January

  • Money-saving secrets of the frugal rich

  • 10 ways to save money on your utility bill

  • The best 11 food and retail bargains in May

  • 7 legal ways to make money with your body

  • About Us
  • Press Room
  • Affiliate Center
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Advertise With Us
  • Latest News
  • Popular Topics
  • Glossary
  • Compare Rates
  • Bank Reviews
  • Understand Bankrate's Averages
  • Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights
  • Terms of Use
  • GLBA Annual Notice
  • Licenses
  • Sitemap
How we make money

Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. Bankrate is compensated in exchange for featured placement of sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. This compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear. Bankrate.com does not include all companies or all available products.

Maximize Your Money. Get Expert Advice & Tools. Master Life's Financial Journey.

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for four decades.

Our tools, rates and advice help no matter where you are on life’s financial journey.

Follow Us

© 2019 Bankrate, LLC All Rights Reserved.

United States United Kingdom