It’s Mother’s Day once again…my day (hehe). Not to blow my own horn but for someone who can do everything all at the same time, that is, taking care of her family and working, and still have time for herself, one day of honoring motherhood is more than well-deserved.

Motherhood is the toughest job of all. I can say that with pure conviction because I’m a mother myself, a single mom to two kids at that. Juggling between your kids and work is next to impossible, not to mention having the need to take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally to be able to take on the job of motherhood everyday. Like they say, it’s a thankless, vacationless, 24 hour job but also the most fulfilling and rewarding because your pay is pure love. I can say that with pure conviction, too.

Perhaps on every Mother’s Day, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to express our gratitude for all the sacrifices our mother did for us. No material thing can ever quantify the extreme love a mother has for her children. So this Mother’s Day, think of something to give to your mom that truly expresses your gratitude and love, not so much through material things, but more on the thought and effort you put into it.

1. Shopping. What woman wouldn’t agree to this? Hehe. Treat your mom to a shopping spree of clothes, shoes, or home appliances (whatever she prefers) and I’m sure she will have the best Mother’s Day ever.

2. Do her chores. A mother’s work is an endless task of house cleaning, doing the laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, washing the dishes, just to name a few. So for a change, do her chores for at least one day so she can rest and you’ll realize how tough her job is. In fact, do or at least help her with her daily chores and you’ll make her continuously happy.

3. Peace and quiet. One of a mother’s impossible wishes. But you can make this dream come true by quitting all the usual ruckus for at least a day. Make your mother breathe deeply and enjoy the moment of solitude on her special day.

4. Spa. Treat your mom to a massage, let her get a nice haircut or nail polish at a nice salon and it will be one of the most memorable Mother’s Day gifts you can ever give her.

5. Movie. Accompany your mother, or if she prefers to go alone, to a nice movie to celebrate her day. A romantic comedy or a tearjerker movie always does the trick. An hour or two at the movie house with sweet treats would be enough to give her the rest and relaxation she needs…at least for this day.

6. Beach/Pool/ Picnic. An outdoor treat like heading to the beach or pool, or even a picnic, is a refreshing change for a mother who spends her day everyday working in the office and home. Give your mom a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively.

7. Cake, card, flowers. The old trick of cake, card and flowers never grows old. A handmade, customized or personal gift may be one of the simplest but most cherished one your mother will always hold.

8. Cook for her. Make your mom feel extra special on her day by cooking for her. Prepare a simple yet sumptuous meal of steak, pasta, vegetable salad and dessert. Who says the quote “The best way through a man’s heart is through his stomach” only applies to men?

9. Jewelry. A little expensive perhaps, but if you have that extra, nothing spells gift to a woman than jewelry, Mother’s Day, birthday, or any other day. As the saying goes, “Diamond is a woman’s best friend.”

10. Time. When kids become adults and have lives of their own, time can be the most beautiful gift they can give to their mothers. If you’re living far away from your mother now or just really busy with your work and own family, take time at least on this day to spend precious hours with your mother. I believe in the saying “Time is the greatest expression of love.”

11. Love. To a mother, no material gift can ever justify and equal the love and respect her children can give to her. Give her this and there’s nothing more she can ever ask for.

Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be an annual celebration. Mothers are the most amazing people and they deserve to be honored everyday. When I was little, I knew my mother would always be there for me so I never really put much thought into it. It took me to become a mother myself to realize all the struggles and sacrifices a mother goes through to give her children the best welfare, future and life she can. Celebrating Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be expensive to express your love and gratitude. Give your mom your time, love and respect and it’s Mother’s Day, everyday.

I’m a single parent to two kids so I’m a big fan of saving and budgeting. But extreme frugality is something I never considered because I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor and live a quality life. But then again, this article is not against extreme frugality or anything. I’m not writing this article to judge people who practice it because I’m sure they have a valid reason for doing so, necessity probably being the primary one.

Instead, this article will give you some examples, e.g. true-to-life experiences, of some people practicing extreme frugality to make their money go a long way. From there, it’s up to you to decide if it’s for you or not:

1. Mother feeds family of 6 on $4 per week

2. On a Groupon challenge, one man is going to live one year of his life on coupons alone away from his family, job, and worldly possessions in exchange for $100,000 if he successfully does it.

3. Man lives in a cave and hasn’t spent a dime in 9 years

4. A woman went on a “shopping diet” and wore only six items of clothing for one month

5. A couple recycled 400,000 cans so they can spend for their wedding and got $3,800 for it

I didn’t go into the details of these stories anymore because I’m sure you get the picture. The point is, some people would go into extremes just to save a dime or two, to try to make their earnings go a long way.

One concern though is that this may be like a crash or hunger diet wherein it may be “good” for a certain period of time, but not for a long-term or even permanent basis because it could harm you in the long run. Worse, it could lead you into a bingeing marathon, trying to gain back everything that you lost or deprived yourself of, even spending more than you normally do.

Like in an article I read, I believe the best thing is to live on a budget – not frugally or lavishly, but well within your means. I think this quote perfectly summarizes this article, talking about frugality and quality of life as a whole. It’s something truly beautiful and significant to ponder about.

“Frugal Decadence: The art of enjoying the many pleasures and luxuries of life at a fraction of the cost others will pay. Life is too short to deny yourself, and too long to use up all of your money living today. Never go without, but never pay full price. No compromises.”

I guess in short, everything in moderation.

Sure, more money enables us to buy more material things, travel, food, and other superficial stuff. But at the end of the day, we will realize that it’s family, friends and personal relationships that really matter, so much more than any money in the world can buy.

One Goal at a Time. More often than not, we make so many goals in life that we end up achieving only a little, if at all. Focus on one goal at a time, work to achieve it before moving on to the next. This way, you have a more surefire way of achieving all your goals, at the best quality possible.

Make Improvements, Albeit Small. Everything is relative. People with big income may complain about not having enough, while small earners can be content with what little they have. It’s all in how you handle things, no matter what the situation is. If you can’t have more of what you already have, work around with what you have instead and make improvements, no matter how little they may be. Budgeting, time management, and family time are just some of the things you can work around with your present income, but you’ll be surprised to see the big difference with what little you do.

Get Rid of Your To-do List, Just Do! Who among us doesn’t have a to-do list, physical or mental? I know I do – and both, too! But instead of worrying and stressing ourselves with what we have to do or buy everyday for the rest of our lives, drop everything and just do! Less tasks, more productivity, happiness.

Couch Potato? Work Your Butt Out! We always complain about not having enough time. But when we think about it, we spend most of our time on the computer, watching TV and other “not really essential” things when we could be spending them with our family and friends, exercising and other productive, more meaningful ways? Stop being a couch potato! As they say, get out and smell the roses! Live life!

Indulge Small but Often. Who doesn’t want a big bank account? But sometimes, if not often, we focus too much on saving up for that house, car, or trip, that we take for granted the simple pleasures of everyday. It doesn’t hurt to sometimes trade your big expenditures for small indulges. Instead of stressing yourself over your next car payment or home mortgage, spend some of your savings on a quiet, little dinner out with your partner and/ or kids. Instead of waiting forever for your dream vacation, go out on a road trip or mini-escapades with your family or friends every month. Sometimes, spending often but little will give you more happiness and value for your money than sacrificing life’s everyday pleasures for that one, big purchase.

Money is only a medium for happiness, not the end goal. No matter how rich or poor you are, no matter how old or young, at the end of the day, we will ask ourselves not how much money we made, but how our money made us happy. In the end, it’s not the material things but our relationship with our family and friends that really matter, so much more than any money in the world can buy.

But entertaining your kid/s doesn’t have to put a hole in your pocket. Imagine having to do this everyday so investing on expensive forms of entertainment can put a serious dent in your finances. Here are some ideas to entertain your child on the cheap, or even totally free:

1. Watch TV/ movie at home. Nothing beats spending quality time together with your kids than staying at home and watching TV or a movie while snacking on munchies like popcorn, chips and soda. Simple and cheap but totally priceless.

2. Go to the beach or pool. Take the kids to the beach or pool and it’s like hitting gold. You can just sit back and relax while your kids have the time of their lives. Talk about hitting two birds in one stone.

3. Go to the park. Go walking or sunset watching with your child at the park. It’s simple and totally free but your child will have a great time without you having to burn your wallet.

4. Play with your pet. If you have a pet dog, cat, bird or anything else in your home, it’s a great way to entertain your children while bonding with them and your pet all at the same time.

5. Go to the library. Some people might raise their eyebrows thinking “How in the world can a library be even less than entertaining?!” But to a child who has a thirst for knowledge, the library is a wonderland of magic and possibilities. Your kid is both entertained and schooled at the same time.

6. Play make-believe games or with toys at home. Make your kid’s imagination come alive by acting out his/ her favorite character and wearing costumes. Open your toy box and rediscover the joy of playing with old toys. Make and fly a kite with your kid. There are so many things you can do at home with old toys and materials than you think. Discover and enjoy with your child.

7. Camp in your backyard. What better way to keep your kids excited than camping out and making barbeque and s’mores? Tell interesting stories of adventure or suspense and you’ll have them busy all night without having to spend much on entertaining them.

8. Play sports. Play sports with your kid at the park or even right at your backyard and you get both entertainment and fitness at the same time. Play basketball, soccer or whatever sports your family is into and you get a healthy, cheap but quality entertainment.

9. Picnic. Have a picnic at the park or in your own garden. Make sandwiches, vegetable salad, juice and other cheap but healthy snacks. Relax. It’s one great way to entertain your child, and even you, on a budget.

10. Go fishing. If you’re into it, go to your town river and catch some fish. You don’t have to be a pro and have expensive equipment to do so. An ordinary, simple fishing rod and bait will do. The object is to keep your child busy and avoid the dreadful boredom.

11. Cooking. What more can entertain a child than cooking or baking cookies, cake and other delights? Nothing beats the feeling of messing up your kitchen while diligently and seriously creating those goodies. Talk about having fun while working!

These are just some ideas to keep your child entertained on a budget or for free. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you have a lot more of “magic tricks” up your sleeve. The key is to keep your kid/s busy and keep them from being bored because when that dreaded word strikes, we parents know that’s when the trouble starts to brew and we have to think of quick, effective ways to keep them entertained. When we’re unprepared, the tendency is to cough up with the fastest, but most of the time, expensive form of entertainment like going to the mall, playing at the arcade, and other commercial, overly priced entertainment.

Entertaining your child doesn’t have to burn your wallet. The secret is to learn to become a resourceful, budget-savvy parent who knows how to keep his/ her kid busy and happy without having to spend a lot. Besides, what really matters, aside from the latter, is spending quality time with your children. And that, is priceless.

1. Run/ Jog. Perhaps the most common yet equally effective form of fitness. Run/ jog around a park or the beach and feel great without breaking your wallet.

2. Walk. If running seems too much for you, walking is as much a good exercise as the former. Walk with a friend or a dog to make your exercise more fun and interesting. Even everyday routines like going to work or school or the grocery can be transformed into a workout by walking instead of driving or riding to your destination.

3. Household Chores. You may not know it but doing household chores actually burns more calories than you think. Cleaning your room, mowing your lawn, cleaning your bathroom and other everyday, seemingly routine chores are actually forms of exercises you can take advantage of. Talk about multi-tasking!

4. Take the stairs. Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs and burn calories without even noticing it. It’s like taking the treadmill or stairmaster…but for free!

5. Move around. Having a desk job that requires sitting in front of the computer all day is not an excuse not to exercise. During your break or as much as you can, stretch your muscles and just move around. Moving around in any way burns more calories than just sitting around doing nothing.

6. Drink water. Drink 8 or more glasses of water each day to stay hydrated and healthy. Water has so many health benefits that we may take  for granted sometimes. It beats drinking soda and other sweetened drinks many times over and it’s way much cheaper.

7. Snack wisely. Instead of snacking on chips, cookies and other unhealthy, artificial foods, munch on an apple, banana or other fruits to keep you feeling full but light. Fruits are cheaper and needless to say, way healthier than the commercialized foods readily available in stores today. Nothing beats natural.

8. Exercise at Home. You want to stay fit and healthy but let’s face it, gym subscriptions and other workout classes today cost so much some people find it an excuse not to get fit. But simple exercises at home like stretching, skip roping and other easy workouts go a long way even without realizing it.

What other ways to stay fit for free can you think of and are actually practicing? Going to gyms and enrolling in workout classes are not bad as long as you can afford it and getting its worth. But for the budget savvy who wants to stay fit under budget or even for free, there are so many exercises out there that are just as effective and fun without costing anything.

Work yourself to a great body for FREE!