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A Rant About Mother’s Day Gifts

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a mother's day rantMaybe it’s because I didn’t pay much attention to the ads until this year, being my second Mother’s day celebration. Maybe it was because growing up, making homemade gifts for special occasions was the only option, not ever noticing ads.

I don’t know why but this year more than ever, there seems to be a huge amount of what I would consider inappropriate ads for special occasions, Mother’s day being just one.

Mother’s Day Ads Gone Overboard

I caught a local ad on TV advertising that what mom ”really wants” is this luxury vehicle for Mother’s day. Really? A car? For Mother’s day?! Not only is this just insane to me, it gives the message of ”Thanks Mom for driving us around all day, mind-as-well have a comfortable bum while it continues”. Who buys mom a car for Mother’s day?!

Mother’s day is important. Moms work hard. While I don’t want to discredit Dad, my experience (both as a mom and child) is that there is generally more pressure on mom. More pressure to keep the house running, nursing, feeding, parenting, mom’s do it all, no questions asked.

What a Mom Really Wants

Taking a single day every year to make sure moms are acknowledged is important. Don’t let Mother’s day excuse you from doing it more often though 🙂 Mom doesn’t want a car. Any mom, I don’t care about demographic, ethnicity or race, doesn’t want a lavish gift such as a car. Mom wants time.

Time that is usually consumed by doing dishes, taking to practice, running the house. Mom wants one day where she has every second of her day to enjoy however she wants. For me I was able to take a nap, for no reason other than I could. Had extra cuddles with my daughter while I let her watch one of her favorite shows just so I could hold her while she was still.

Time outside running around the park. Time with my family while we ate a yummy dinner prepared by my husband. It was a beautiful day and while my daughter did get me a gift (a vegetable garden made by dad which my daughter and I will enjoy together) the best gift given to me was time. While I still did some cleaning and got some laundry done, it was on my own accord and I was able to accomplish everything I wanted.

Moms don’t need cars and diamond rings. They want time for themselves. Time with their family and general acknowledgment that what they do is recognized. Showering mom in foolish expensive gifts is a cop-out. The effort you put in to making anything will be much better received than any gift in which you merely had to swipe a card for. If mom needs a new car, sure, work it out so she gets one, but disguising it as a Mother’s day gift is an injustice to your mom.

Going forward for future years, make sure you spend time with mom. Make her something to the best of your abilities. Tell her you love her. She doesn’t really need that silly materialistic item regardless of what the advertises will have you believe.

What do you think is an appropriate gift for mothers day?

3 Easy Ways Busy Parents Can Be More Frugal

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frugal busy parentsAs a parent your to-do list can seem endless.

Go to work. Drop the kids off at school. Take the baby to daycare. Pick up the kids. Cook dinner. Take the kids to soccer practice. And, the list goes on and on.

As a busy parent it can be hard to focus on frugality when you can barely keep your head on straight. In these instances it’s the small things that can have the most impact on your financial situation.

Here are three ways busy parents can be more frugal.

 

Prepare Simple Meals

Keeping your meal planning simple is not only a cost effective strategy but it can free up a ton of time for you. Stock your pantry and freezer with some go-to, simple, and healthy meals that the whole family will enjoy.

What I often do is prepare several meals in advance that I can throw in the crockpot for those busy days. To do this simply gather all of your ingredients, put them in a freezer bag, and toss in the freezer. In the morning simply empty the bag into the crockpot. You’ll have a delicious meal waiting for you when dinner time comes around. Clean up is also extra easy, which is an added bonus!

 

Use Frugaa When Shopping Online

I tend to do much of my shopping online since it’s a huge time saver. And, every time I do I make sure to check and see if there is a coupon code to go with my purchase.

Frugaa makes this process even simpler. You simply visit Frugaa select your budget and the category or store you want to shop at and Frugaa will show all the available coupon codes that fit your chosen criteria. You won’t have to spend time weeding through different sites or searching for codes that coincide with your budget.

This is another easy way to save time and money.

 

Maximize Free Activities

As parents it can sometimes be hard to resist buying the latest toys or signing up children for every after school activity – but really, most of this is unnecessary.

You shouldn’t feel obligated to buy everything you see for your child. Free activities, like spending time outdoors, can be the most fun and memorable things you can do together.

Here are some ideas:

  • Have a “fancy” dinner in which you and your children dress up, use your good dishes, and eat at the table.
  • Take a walk through the woods.
  • Visit parks and watch your children play.
  • Have your kids put on a play for you.

There are endless free activities you and your children can enjoy, you just have to be willing to use your imagination.

 

One Small Step at a Time

It can be hard to stretch your frugal muscles when you’re always strapped for time. However, if you take a couple minutes at the start of the day to plan things out you can save time and money.

Start by making a few small changes. Once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to easily identify opportunities that will benefit your bottom line.