Practical Gifts for the Single Mom—’Tis the Season!

There are many events throughout the year that are very stressful for Single Moms.  Back to school shopping, birthdays, sports seasons, vacations and of course the biggie, The Holidays.

I don’t think anyone has found a miracle calculation to budget saving money monthly with no extra money to do it with.  Or maybe it is just because I'm really bad at math. Either way the holidays always stressed me out to the point of having a huge knot in my stomach that began to form in November right before Thanksgiving, and lasted well into Christmas. 

To top it off my daughter’s birthday is two days after Christmas so I was always scrapping and saving to make sure there was a clear distinction between Christmas and Birthday celebrations/gifts so she wouldn’t feel ripped off.  Oh the memories.

In an effort to assist others in the pursuit of saving money while giving gifts that Single Moms can use, I’ve come up with a list of what I feel are affordable, practical gifts for the Single Mom.  Gifts that even a Single Mom can give to another. 

So read through and check them out and see what you think.  Maybe there is a Single Mom in your life that would benefit from one of the ideas.  You never know.

Gift Certificates:

I know, I know—they seem impersonal and cold, but they really aren’t.  They are just about the most practical thing you can purchase these days.   Three of my favorites for Single Moms are, grocery store, movie theater and oil changes.  Read on and see why.

If you know the local grocery store that she shops in, then a gift card from that store is an amazing gift.  Since most of us are becoming very familiar with the coupon section of the Sunday paper, we are getting the most bang-for–our-bucks even when it comes to groceries. 

A lot of the stores have special promotions during the holidays where if one ham or turkey is purchased a second is free or at least half of the price.  A Single Mom can feed her family heartily with an offer like that.  A $25 or $50 gift card is probably around the same dollar amount you would spend on one of those sweet smelling baskets full of oils and foot care products right?  This way all you have to do is pop the gift card into an envelope and put it on her tree or put it in the mail.  No wrapping required.  Practical and easy.

Going to the movies is pricey these days.  I remember when you could take $2.00 to the movie theater and come home with change. Wow I am old!  This time of year you can usually find discounted package deals at warehouse stores that include 2 or 4 tickets and a tub of popcorn or you may work for a company that sells movie tickets at a reduced rate. 

Either way this is a cool gift. With a family of three the Single Mom can go broke just buying the movie tickets and being able to afford the sanck bar is out of the question so everyone shares a large bucket of popcorn and one giant soda.  I’m sure she would appreciate a gift like this that allows her a night out with her kids and her own drink. 

This last gift certificate idea may just be the most practical of all.  The oil change.

Yep, you read that right.  Most of us spend 50% of our life at work, and at least 30% of our time in our cars. (Those are probably not exact percentages as I don’t really speak math but you get my point.)

If you drive at least 20 miles each way to and from work, you know what I’m talking about. Our cars are run hard and we are usually in such a hurry and pressed for money that we don’t take such good care of them.  The Single Mom drives extra miles as she shuttles all of her kids to and from school, sports practice, dance lessons, and so on. 

It isn’t unusual that her vehicle is near or over 100,000 miles, has more than one tire that needs replacing and is 2,000 miles over the allotted oil change period.  So this gift can breathe new life into her family shuttle and help her engine out.  I realize that its Auto Basics 101 to get regular maintenance on your car, which includes tuneups and oil changes, but for the Single Mom finding the extra money to actually schedule that work is a constant battle. 

Something always pops up unexpectedly like school pictures or groceries so the car maintenance has to wait.  And again, with a gift like this, you don’t need any wrapping paper or fancy bows.  I’m just saying.

Another practical gift idea that I want to share is something I call, “The Gift that Keeps on Giving.”  This pertains to those brand new still-in-the-box items that for some reason have found a home under your bed, in your closet, on a shelf in the garage or simply stacked on the floor of the spare room. 

They could be housewarming items that well intentioned family members or neighbors brought to you without really knowing what your taste in décor is, or they could be wedding shower gifts, or actual wedding gifts that you received duplicates even triplicates of and never exchanged. 

I imagine that you had good intentions of returning or exchanging them but you just never got around to it.  Now that so much time has passed, isn’t it time they find a new home?  One that will love them, need them and most importantly set them free from their cartons and use them?  Just something to think about.

I was one of those Single Moms who married for love and divorced for broke so I needed all of the help I could get.  I really appreciated it when my friends would come by and pull out a box with a brand new toaster oven in it that they couldn’t use because they received 4 of them as wedding gifts.  I wasn't too proud to accept their gift, I was ecstatic!  One more thing I really needed and couldn’t afford and it made the best garlic bread.   Their generosity and thoughfulness made me feel cared about and loved.

So hopefully you got some useful ideas while reading through this or maybe you came up with the perfect practical gift on your own.  Whatever works for that Special Single Mom in your life is what it’s all about.

There is an old saying that the greatest gift of all is Love.  I believe that Love comes in many different ways in our lives.  It isn’t measured by a price tag, a bank account or in size.  It is felt in the hearts of both the giver and receiver.  It enriches both of their lives.  Sometimes it just takes time to find that perfect gift of love, but it is always worth it.

Until next time, I wish you and your families Health, Love, Peace and Joy Always.