Mother’s Day will soon be here!

The good news is that the nature of Mother’s Day isn’t about buying expensive trinkets or wowing Mom with an over the top production.

Mother’s Day is about family and togetherness.

These ideas are just a few of the many ways you can show Mom you love her without blowing the budget.

10 Ways to Show Mom You Care, Without Breaking the Bank

1. Take a family outing. One of the best things about Mother’s Day is timing. Mother’s Day is a spring holiday and always falls on a Sunday, which means the weather is gorgeous and you don’t have to worry about rushing home from work to spend time together as a family.

One of my favorite family activities is going on a nice picnic or an outing at the park. We have a beautiful arboretum near our home that has free admission. The flowers are blooming, the little ducks are swimming in the pond and the families are walking together and enjoying the season. Sounds like a recipe for a great family outing!

2. Make Mom a coupon book. Most mothers share a common denominator – they are the glue that holds the household together. And that also means they have lot of stress from taking care of everyone and everything.

Make Mom a coupon book with coupons she can use any time she needs a break. Coupon ideas include cooking, cleaning, massages, chores, taking her to dinner, date night, or taking care of some of the items on the “honey-do” list.

Coupon books are great for involving children too. Let them suggest some ideas for “coupons” they think their mother might enjoy.

3. Cook Mom’s favorite dinner. Spring is the perfect time to have a BBQ or have a nice home cooked meal out on the patio. Cook Mom’s favorite dinner and be sure to include lots of fresh spring veggies from the local farmer’s market.

Top off the meal with Mom’s favorite desert (just don’t let Mom make it!).

4. Make it a movie night. Gather the family around the living room and watch Mom’s favorite movie. Pop some fresh popcorn on the stove, make a pitcher of grape Kool-Aid and pop in a family movie. (OK, the popcorn and grape Kool-Aid are my Mom’s favorite, be sure to customize the snacks!).

If you don’t have a copy of Mom’s favorite movie then you can save money by borrowing it from the library, or taking advantage of this Netflix free trial offer.

5. Family game night. Get the family together in the living room or kitchen table and play cards or board games. You can top it off with homemade pizza, snacks, or a giant ice cream sundae.

6. Offer up some peace and quiet. Most Moms I know would love to just have some quiet, alone time to do some things for her. Give Mom this time. She might not want to take it on Mothers Day, but make sure you schedule some time for her to get away.

7. Clean/repair/improve the house. Mom’s usually handle most of the cleaning duties, so give her a break for a few days by cleaning the house. Involve the kids and get the house spic and span. Do this while Mom is out enjoying some quiet time or whatever it is she wants to be doing.

If there are some home repairs or improvement projects you’ve been putting off, use this time to get those done for her. Don’t have any? Surprise her with an inexpensive project like painting a room.

8. New pictures of her kids/grandkids. Surprise Mom with a few new photos of the kids and/or grand kids. This doesn’t have to be anything professional. Although, it would be nice if you attempted to make them look nice. Grab a few inexpensive frames and place your new photos around the house as an extra surprise.

9. Candles, lotions, and soaps. Mom’s like to smell good and clean. These three gift categories are usually pretty inexpensive and Mom’s always running out (i.e. it will certainly be appreciated and used).

10. Bouquet of flowers. This is the classic Mothers Day gift and rightfully so. You can find moderately priced bouquets at your local market, or you can venture out to find some nice wildflowers of your own. Either way, Mom will appreciate this gift that will brighten her day.

Showing Mom you care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, she will probably remember and appreciate the “together time” much more than any trinket you buy.

This post was written in part by Ryan from Cash Money Life.

Image by varese

Food Stamp Coupons (Second Series 1961-1975)

My husband’s mentor is currently a successful engineer working for a major American engineering firm.

But he had to struggle through some difficult financial hardships to get there.

Years ago, after a divorce and a cross-country move with his young children, our friend was having trouble making ends meet. So, he signed up for food stamps—now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

With the financial burden of feeding himself and his kids eased, our friend was able to find a job that allowed him time to go to school to earn his mechanical engineering degree. Within a year, he was able to quit the food stamp program, and focus on his own and his children’s education. He’s one of millions of food stamp success stories.

According to recent reports, many Americans will find themselves in a similar situation as the economy continues to recover. While accepting the assistance of food stamps might be a bitter pill for some to swallow, it’s important to know the details of the program should you ever need to use it.

Food Stamp Statistics

Nearly 15% of Americans—or about one in every seven—are currently on food stamps. Although, the USDA reports that only about 70% of those who are eligible actually choose to participate in the program. The percentage of Americans using food stamps is comparable to the percentage of the workforce that is currently unemployed or underemployed. The lack of steady employment is a major factor leading to the rise in food stamp recipients over the past few years.

The good news is that the average amount of time that a recipient remains on food stamps is nine months. And despite some of the hyperbole and horror stories reported about food stamp recipients misusing their benefits, the program’s benefit accuracy rate is nearly 95%.

For those worried about the economics of any assistance program, the USDA reports that every federal dollar spent on SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in local economic activity.

Finally, it’s important to remember that nearly half of the recipients of food stamps are children. This program helps to provide food insecure families with nutritious food for their children.

Food Stamp Eligibility Requirements

While eligibility requirements for food stamps vary from state to state, all states share some common elements.

• Applicants must live below certain gross and net income limits, and
• show that they have less than around $2000 (this figure varies) in liquid assets.
• However, having a disabled elderly member of the family (elderly is defined as 60+) increases that asset limit to around $3000.
• Applicants between the ages of 18 and 60 must either be working or looking for work in order to qualify, and
• if an appropriate job is offered to a job seeker on SNAP, the recipient must take the job in order to keep the benefits coming.

The USDA offers a pre-screening tool that can help applicants determine whether they are eligible for benefits. This tool is not the application—just a calculator that will help you know if you should apply based on your specific state’s eligibility requirements. The site will also direct you to your state’s application.

Food Stamp Benefits

Though we all still call them food stamps, program recipients these days receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to use like a debit card for food stamp purchases. Program participants may use their EBT cards at any participating retailer, including grocery stores, farmers’ markets, convenience stores, and in some limited cases, restaurants.

Food stamps can only be used to purchase food, meaning you cannot use them for alcohol, tobacco, personal hygiene, or cleaning product purchases.

The amount of money that you are entitled to through this program varies widely. The program is intended as a supplement to your food budget, rather than a method to purchase all of your food for the entire month. The USDA analyzes and charts four food budget levels (Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal), and updates those analyses each month.

Depending on which level you qualify for, the number of individuals in your household, and the ages of those individuals, your benefits could vary greatly from those of another participant.

The Bottom Line

The food stamp program allows food insecure Americans the ability to eat healthy and nutritious meals while they work to get back their financial stability. And as my husband’s mentor can attest, the program can offer individuals a path to a much better life.

Have you ever used the food stamp program? Share your experience in the comments below.

Image by USDAgov

Happy? Go shopping!

Good times…

You should buy a car at the end of the month, late in the day. You should buy your winter coat in the Spring. You should shop for airline tickets on Tuesdays.

But there are also times when it might not be best to break out the credit card, regardless of the season, day, or time.

Avoid Shopping When You’re Sad

It’s called retail “therapy” for a reason. People buy more when they are sad. The studies show it. A broken heart needs a new pair of shoes. An unfilled void needs a new flat screen TV. When you’re sad, your defenses are down and you’re only thinking about your immediate self and meeting those short-term needs. Don’t spend when you’re sad.

Avoid Shopping When You’re Hungry

Apparently the hunger rule doesn’t just apply to grocery shopping or dining out. A growling stomach can lead to overspending of all types. The next time you head out to do some shopping make sure you’re working with a full stomach. Don’t be a hungry shopper.

Avoid Shopping When You’re Angry

When you are angry, you are apparently more prone to throw caution to the wind and make purchases or financial decisions that you normally wouldn’t. Being angry gives you an overly-optimistic attitude (think “what the hell!”) towards purchases. This attitude can lead to making risky financial moves. It can also lead to you hitting me with your cart. So stay away from the mall (and your online broker) when you are mad.

Don’t forget! In most cases you can make returns and right the wrongs that you’ve committed against your finances during your moment of weakness.

More Money Rules

These three tips came from the new book from Today show’s Jean Chatzky, called Money Rules. Money Rules is a collection of 94 rules that Jean has compiled, which, if followed, will lead to a “lifetime of financial security and eliminate most, if not all money stress”.

The rules are divided up into seven parts: Make Money, Save Money, Avoid (Most) Debt, Spend Wisely, Invest for Tomorrow, Cover Your Assets, Do’s and Don’ts (some of those categories sound familiar, don’t they?). Each rule is no longer than two or three paragraphs. You could literally read the book in twenty minutes.

You could also consume the book over several months, one rule at a time, while you’re enjoying your morning coffee or waiting in line at the store. Or you could simply use the book as a reference to occasionally check your financial life against best practices. The rules are spot on and not at all the fluff or typical advice you would expect from a high-level compilation book like this.

The only thing I find that I don’t like about this book is the price tag. It’s list price is $12.99. You can find it on Amazon.com for slightly less in paperback and ebook, but this really should be available in ebook for for $2 or $3.

So, have you ever found yourself shopping when you were angry, sad, or hungry? Did you end up buying something you regretted?

Image by Andy Hay