by Laurie Childree

Created on: December 14, 2007

Giving mom a gift that is under $10 may not be as difficult as you think. If your mom is like mine she can well afford most of the things would like to have and readily buys them herself. The trick is to get something she would not buy.

You adore your mother and want to find her that perfect gift. You hunt and hunt but you keep coming to the same conclusion that you can not afford what you want to get her. Not a problem; no really it isn't just relax and listen a minute.

Does your mom collect anything? For years my mother collected Unicorn figurines. I would hunt out miniature figurines for her. Often these were anywhere from a dollar each to five dollars.

When you walk through the stores you will notice that a lot of the dollar stores now sale figures. You can purchase unicorns, cats, dogs and most any other figure.

Vases are less than $10 most anywhere if you look; they can put fresh flowers from the garden in them. These are available most anywhere for under $10. There are also foam and fake flowers you can put into a vase and arrange for her. (Only if mom prefers fake to real flowers.)

There are bath sets that are prepackaged; some of these run into quite a bit of money. If you look carefully around the stores and hit the sales you can find them for around $8 a piece. That is not too bad. Even a small bottle of perfume can be less than $10 if she isn't into the designer fragrances.

You can also buy face creams, lotions and body washes for a mere dollar each to wrap up for mom. Bubble bath is only $1 for mom to pamper herself with as well.

Does mom like movies and older television show? You can find VHS tapes and DVDs of both at your local dollar stores for under $10. Mind you these are individual tapes and two packs not whole seasons but it is the thought that counts, not the expense.

Everyone needs to be prepared for emergencies, so why not a package of emergency candles under the tree? They are only a dollar a pack at the Dollar Tree. There are also small scented candles and tapered candles for just a dollar a piece there also.

There are candle holders sold for a dollar each. You can buy a candle plate for larger candles and tea cup holders along with a package of tea cup candles. All and all you're out $3. Not too bad huh?

Computers are everywhere today, chances are mom has one. Look around and get her something simple to use with her computer. A pack of printer paper is about $4, and if she prints her own pictures you can find picture sheets at the Dollar Tree for $1 a pack. Granted these are small packs of photo paper but it one less package she will have to buy for herself.

If your mother is back in school as mine is then you can buy her a few things to make school less stressful. A calendar, planner, notebook and a package of pens are good accessories for her. Total of these is only $4. She has to keep up with her assignments after all.

Checking the sales ads for the stores can also be useful when coming up with gift ideas under $10 for mom at Christmas time.

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