When my sister and I were little, we gave my mom “coupon” books for Mother’s Day. They were filled with slips for free hugs (she liked these) and for doing the dishes after dinner (she loved these). And while they didn’t cost much to make, our mom looked forward to these coupons every year because they were from our hearts. Now, she still doesn’t want us to spend a lot on Mother’s Day gifts. She just wants to know she’s appreciated.
My sister lost her job about a month ago. She worked as a hostess for a restaurant and, like millions of other Americans, has filed for unemployment. She’s worried about how she’s going to pay her rent and how to best grocery shop on a strict budget, but also about things that are of less consequence but of big importance to her, like making sure she can still get my mom a great gift for Mother’s Day. And since my parents recently moved into a new house, my sister wants to get my mom something for her kitchen that’s both affordable and useful.
The good news: Many pieces of kitchen equipment that we’ve tested and loved are under $25 (If $25 is too much to spend, we’ve included some of our favorite pieces of kitchen equipment that are $10 or $15.) Here are 12 budget-friendly Mother’s Day gifts that, hopefully, your mom will love—I know mine would.