How much to spend on your mum's birthday gift
Mums are one of the trickier gifts to price, mostly because a lot of them insist they don't need anything. The calculator below starts with a typical parent age. Adjust the closeness and budget settings for your own relationship.
Recommended range
$60 to $100 is a comfortable range
The tricky part with parents is that a lot of them will tell you they need nothing, and mean it. That is not an instruction to spend less. It is a sign the gift needs to be specific rather than expensive, something that shows you paid attention rather than something that fills a gap in what they already own.
Ranges are a social norm, not a rule. The right amount is the one that does not strain you.
Now you know how much. Want to know what?
Add them to Birthday Backup and get three gift ideas within their budget, sent 14 days before their birthday, or instantly whenever you ask.
Back up your first birthdayRelated gift guides
Questions
My mum says she doesn't want anything. Should I still spend in this range?
That's usually a sign to make the gift more specific rather than to spend less. The amount matters less than showing you paid attention to something she actually wants.
Do grandmothers usually get more than mothers?
Use the grandparent relationship option if you're buying for a grandmother rather than your own mum. The two settings are priced separately in this calculator.