Have you bought your Mother’s Day cards yet? If you are like me, you haven’t. Strolling down the card aisle with all of the pictures, jokes and sappy lines makes me a bit nauseous. It isn’t the silly sayings and bad jokes that turn my insides around. It is the crazy prices on the backs of the cards that always make me feel a little ill.

With greeting card prices on the rise, you can easily spend over $5.00 buying just one card. If you add music, pictures, embellishments the prices climb toward $10.00. Yikes! If you are a bargain shopper like me, you see that as enough money to buy another gift! Who wants to waste money on something that ends up in the trash hours or days later? I sure don’t. This thought of not wasting money on cards has sent me on a quest to find things to use when gift giving, instead of store bought cards.

Make your own card. I know it sounds a little bit like a trip back to preschool but it really can be fun and inexpensive. Use scraps of things that you already have around the house. Recycle old cards and pictures from magazines and ads. Use a photo and make a card that mom or grandma will love. Use anything you have around the house, just make it yourself without spending money on fancy supplies or embellishments.

Make a gift tag. Simple could be the answer. How often do we read a card and then toss it after the party is over. Do we appreciate the gifts with fancy cards more than those without cards? Cards are rarely important to me. I read them and then usually do not give them another thought. I have started to just make a simple gift tag for many of the presents we give. Quick, cheap and easy.

Think outside the envelope. I have really thought about cards and why we are so much in the habit of giving them. We usually use them to convey and idea of love or appreciation. Why not use something other than a card? One of my new favorite ideas is to use a children’s book. Picture books look cute on top of a gift, even when giving the gift to an adult. You can get a themed book and write a note or two on the inside cover, just like a card. For Mother’s Day consider a book about mom or grandma, there are lots of cheap favorites at places like Amazon.com, Walmart or your local book store. Some great and super cheap books can be found in new condition at your local thrift shop.

It must be a store bought card. There are some situations when you may feel like you absolutely have to buy a card. Shop smart when buying a card. Check the dollar stores. Our local Dollar Tree has a great selection of cards and they are just $1.00. Stores like WalMart have $.50 and $1.00 sections for every occasion including Mother’s Day. Look for card multipacks with a number of different greeting cards for a great price.

Whatever you choose to do: make a card, use a tag, use a book or buy a card, remember to pinch your pennies!