14 Perfect Mother's Day Gifts Under $50

Mother's Day is the one time of year where the children are in charge of making Mom feel special, not the other way around. Whether you're planning the perfect brunch, serving a relaxing breakfast in bed, or taking your mom for a day of pampering at the spa, make sure you pick up one of these cheap Mother's Day gifts too. They're sweet and thoughtful presents, but the best part is that they're all under $50.

When it comes to gift giving, the age-old saying goes "it's the thought that counts," and it becomes especially true when it comes to Mother's Day gifts. Your mom devoted her life to reading you bedtime stories, driving you to practices and recitals, taking care of you when you were sick, and hardest of all, dealing with your own special variety of teen angst and rebellion. So, when you pick out a gift for the woman who was strong enough to do all that, you want it to be something meaningful.

Special and meaningful, however, doesn't mean it has to be expensive. Your mother is a smart woman who understands the value of a dollar (especially her twentysomething-year-old child's hard earned dollars), so instead of buying her something pricey and extravagant, focus on finding her something as special and as meaningful as she is to you.

Sounds impossible, right? Wrong. Here are 14 cheap and thoughtful Mother's Day presents that will make your mom feel as special as she really is.

1. Personalized Mug

She might not still have the ceramic mug you made her in elementary school, but your mom will surely hang onto this funny and sweet mug just for her. Inscribed with a message from you on the back, it's a sentimental gift your mom will actually put to use.

Personalized Mom Coffee Mug, $20, Etsy

2. Beautiful Skin Set

With all the hard work your mom does, she deserves a little pampering. Instead of bringing her to the spa, bring the spa to her with L'Occitane's Beautiful Skin Essentials "Best Of" set, featuring creams and oils your mom will love, all in an adorable travel pouch.

Beautiful Skin Essentials Best of L'Occitane Set, $38, Sephora

3. Monogrammed Bathrobe

Give the gift of comfort with a monogrammed spa-style bathrobe for Mom. It'll give her the perfect outfit for lounging around all Mother's Day while you take care of all the things she normally does.

Monogrammed Cotton Bathrobe, $39.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

4. A Book Starring Mothers And Daughters

If you and your mother share a love of reading, then you can't go wrong with a good book for a Mother's Day gift. Try Jodi Picoult's Leaving Time, a poignant and surprising story about a young woman desperately searching for the mother she lost 10 years earlier. Be sure to give your mom some tissues with this one, too.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, $19.29, Amazon

5. Fitness Tracker

Whether your mom hits the gym regularly or is trying to create a healthier lifestyle, a fitness tracker is the perfect gift for her this Mother's Day. While some cost well over $250, the Jawbone UpMove is a more affordable offer at $49.99 for the small tracker clip, and an additional $14.99 for an optional wrist strap. Designed with beginners in mind, your mom can do it all with this small and inexpensive tracker.

Jawbone UpMove, $49.99, Jawbone

6. Personalized Portrait Pendant

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but when it comes to Mom, it's sentimentality over glamour. Make your mom's day with one of these personalized portrait pendants made from an actual photo of you, and don't be surprised if she wears it more than her jewels.

Personalized Portrait Pendant, $20, Etsy

7. Photo Book

Sure, almost everyone uses social media to look at photos, but if anyone can appreciate a good-old-fashioned photo book, it's your mother. Find photos from your childhood through the present day, and create an epic family album your mom will love showing off.

Layflat Hardcover Photo Book, $49.99. Snapfish

8. Family Cookbook

My family, including my mom, spends a lot of the time in the kitchen, and cooking is a huge part of our traditions. If your family loves food as much as mine, then your mom will be head-over-heals for a custom-made family cookbook. With a variety of pricing options, Heritage Cookbook makes it easy for you to gather up all of your secret recipes and favorite dishes, and present them in a beautiful package, just in time for Mother's Day.

Family Cookbook, Prices Vary, Heritage Cookbooks

9. Inscribed Spoon

If your mom needs coffee just as much as you do in the morning, then she will appreciate this adorable inscribed stirring spoon. Punny and sweet, she will think of you whenever she drinks her coffee, which, face it, is probably every day.

Vintage Coffee Spoon, $19, Etsy

10. A Bottle of Bubbly

The perfect present for the brunch-loving mother, a bottle of prosecco is always a great gift go-to. Zonin's new Dress Code collection comes in three different editions, each one special enough for your special lady, and good enough you'll want her to share.

Zonin1821's ‘Dress Code’ Collection, $16.99, International Wine Shop

11. A DVD For Mother-Daughter Movie Night

If you want to give your mom a gift and something to do with her afternoon, try a movie featuring a strong mother-daughter relationship in it. Terms of Endearment might be over 30 years old, but it's still a classic film about the love between a mother and her daughter, something your own mom will always appreciate.

Terms of Endearment, $11.99, Amazon

12. Personalized Leather Wristlet

For the fashionable mama, pick out a colorful leather wristlet from Things Remembered, and personalized it with her initials. A girl — even your mom — can never have too many bag options, right?

Personalized Colorful Leather Wristlet, $42, Things Remembered

13. Matching Wine Glasses

What better way to spend the day with your mom than by splitting a bottle of wine in your matching glasses? Nothing, that's what, so order these pretty and sentimental gifts ASAP.

Matching Personalized Wine Glasses, $17.99, Etsy

14. Family Tree Canvas

There are few things a mother is more proud of than her family, so let her show everyone just how incredible it is with this customized family tree canvas. You can add names to it yourself, or let your mom fill it in herself. Either way, she will love being able to display it, and add to it as it grows.

Family Tree Canvas, $38.99, Things Remembered

Images: OnceAgainSam/Etsy; Amanda Picotte