While flowers are always a possible gift, quite frankly, mom’s deserve even more than a truckload of flowers. That is literally true. Salary.com several years ago estimated it would cost $113,586 to replace a mother’s services just based upon the 10 most time-consuming tasks.

Others put the estimated value of her services higher. Insure.com put the 2022 figure at over $126,000 per year.

So, load up the truck with flowers and it still isn’t enough. Even at $113,586 per year, mom’s job is far from a cheap job; it’s a ton of work and it’s 24 x 7 x 365 with on holiday pay, no overtime, and no vacations.

You can even find a selfish reason to celebrate Mother’s Day. And it is a Biblically solid reason. God told us in Exodus 20:12:

Exodus 20:12
12  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Honoring your father and mother will lengthen your life! And some have measured that scientifically and have discovered that it is true because good family relations often turn into a longer, less stressful and more satisfying life.

But that leaves us with a question. What does it mean to honor one’s father and mother? God tells us a lot about that. The Hebrew word kavod (Eng., honor) indicates worth and value, resulting in praise. It actually means weighted or heavy, suggesting the respect we should pay to Mom is a lot; she is a big deal! In fact, at times kavod is translated as glory, showing just how serious this honor should be.

But the Bible does not instruct us in how that kavod, or honor, is to be given. That is no surprise since our relationship with God is personal just as our relationships with our parents is. How you give honor to mom is very personal and is entirely up to you.

There should be no excuses. Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May. Put it on your calendar as a repeating event.

Dates for Mother’s Day Date

Mother’s Day 2026 Sunday, May 10, 2026

Mother’s Day 2027 Sunday, May 9, 2027

Mother’s Day 2028 Sunday, May 14, 2028

Here are a few ideas for that special celebration and honor to your mom. What works best for you and mom will be very dependent upon age, where she lives, your family history and a lot more, but that’s why I offer a variety of ideas of different types and sizes. Regardless of the idea, the best part is that the costs come in far less than even the low figure of $60,000 per year!

1. Give more than a bouquet of flowers

Flowers die quickly and are too easy and too common to be that special gift.

Don’t ignore the idea of flowers, some moms love them and that is exactly what they want. Just don’t make flowers your automatic go-to gift or your only gift.

If mom has a green thumb or even an available garden area, get her a pot of flowers that can be planted. It will actually be less expensive than the usual bouquet of flowers, will last for years, assuming you don’t choose annuals, and will give her a lasting memory of your love and thoughtfulness.

Then take it to the next level. Deliver the flowers yourself and offer to plant them yourself. That may mean an extra trip to visit her, one with a few tools and maybe a trip to a restaurant with her.

But not all mom’s have green thumbs. Choose instead some plants that are almost impossible to kill, ones that require little or almost no attention, infrequent watering and, yes, they still look great.

Your local garden store, Lowes, or Home Depot can help.

2. Don’t just take her to dinner, bring dinner to her

And cook it yourself if you can! Recipes of all sizes, shapes and flavors are available online with a simple search. If you are like me, a disaster in the kitchen, then order a take out meal, pick it up and deliver it hot.

And remember, you get to clean up too.

3. Do a special brunch date

If you’re not close enough to have a brunch with mom, do it virtually. Have the ingredients delivered to her door using DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, or some similar service, then set up a Zoom brunch with the whole family.

There are many opportunities for creative touches. Bake a casserole and drop by, add a cake or cupcakes, with a flourish of candles! It does not have to be a birthday or holiday to celebrate and honor mom.

4. Take Mom to a movie or watch her favorite movie with her at home

Going to a movie is always fun. You get to buy a bucket of popcorn and splurge.

There are few movies not available either livestreamed or on DVD if you plan ahead. There is even such a thing as a teleparty if Mom is far away. Check out Teleparty, formerly Netflix Teleparty.

5. It’s time for a picnic

While not all moms are outdoor-types, some love the idea. Mother’s Day is in May which in Florida is usually dry and warm if not hot. Pack a picnic and head to a local park. You don’t have to sit on the ground, which might be tough for some. There are public parks almost everywhere with tables and benches. Take a better chair if needed – that special touch will make her feel special. She is!

And hand-pack the picnic basket yourself. The extra attention and effort will be worth it. If you are unsure what works best or how to do this, check out Almanac’s picnic ideas.

6. Don’t buy a card, make one

Store-bought cards are nice, but personally made cards add that special touch for a special person. There are many available apps that allow you to inexpensively make a personal card. By inexpensive, I mean just the cost of the paper, card stock, ink and envelope. About the most expensive part of the whole process will be the stamp.

One example is Canva.com, But you can check out several at this site. As an alternative, you can use a commonly available program that comes with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Publisher.

Or just do it the old-fashioned way and handwrite a letter to your mother. Share a memory of you and your mom. Nothing could bring more joy.

7. Add to that card

You don’t have to stop with just a card. Making up a gift basket with goodies isn’t hard. It just takes some time, but then so did changing your diapers when you were a baby! A trip to a Hobby Lobby or Michael’s can get you a basket as well as many contents. Drop by a Bath and Body Works or similar store and pick up a fragrant hand wash and lotion, then got by a grocery store and find some of her favorite cookies and treats. That makes a pretty full basket.

And if these ideas don’t fit, don’t quit looking. There are online sites with many, many ideas, suggestions and links. Keep looking and celebrate with mom. She is a gift from God (just as you were to her).

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

Saving money is a challenge, especially in the high inflation of the current administration. The money seems to (and does) build up slowly and the temptations (or need) to cheat and spend rather than save are like dieting temptations, easy to find and hard to resist. Here are a few practical ideas to keep your savings increasing and to help you hold the line on spending. When you save on one of the ideas here, save the money toward an emergency savings account, your retirement or a special trip and vacation.

Try these ideas and save:

1. Your car insurance rises every year even though your car is older and is very likely worth less. You would think at least the collision coverage would decrease since your car is a year older and worth less. No! But it will, if you decide to shop around at least every three or so years. You may not want to decide based upon premium cost alone, because there is a lot to be said about receiving good service; but if money is tight, shop around. 

2. If you have emergency savings, consider going with high-deductible collision coverage. You can save a lot that way. I will admit it may cost you if you have an at fault accident, but if you go several years without an accident or if the other guy has no coverage and no money, your savings may far exceed the amount of your deductible. If you don’t have an emergency savings fund, start one now.

3. Shop your homeowner’s coverage as well. Those premiums tend to rise more than the value of your home, especially in Florida. For some reason, the premiums never seem to decrease. Home insurers, like car insurers, count on you not wanting the hassle of changing carriers. But beware of the risk of having to be subjected to a Four Point inspection and possibly have to replace your roof. Many insurers will not start insuring your home without a careful inspection or with a roof older that 12-14 years. But then maybe it needs to be replaced anyway! Better to do that before hurricane season and before leaks begin.

4. Drop your magazine subscriptions. Check and you may find the very same magazine is available at your nearest public library. Or, alternatively, spend a quiet evening at a local bookstore, reading your favorite magazines for free, or check out books from the Helen Enns Library at Idlewild Baptist Church.

5. Hold a garage sale. Go through your closet and find clothes you have not worn in a year. The chances are you will never wear it if you haven’t worn it in a year. Pull the junk out of your closets you never use and out of the attic that you stuffed up there and see if there is someone else who wants your junk. You won’t make a lot, but you will make more than doing nothing will make for you. Ladies, consider a donation to Loft 181, an amazing ministry that serves trafficking victims and foster children (In 2025 it served over 500 young ladies – check it out at www.loft181.com). It began at Idlewild and is still supported by many Idlewild members. Alternatively, try eBay or sell online. A second alternative is for you to donate what you have to a Christian thrift store and take the deduction on your tax return if you are able.

6. Check your Internet, cable, streaming and phone plans. You can almost always improve your plan and save money if you check once a year. Ask yourself if you really need that landline. We dropped ours over a year ago and discovered we received fewer junk calls during dinner.

7. Get a free energy audit from your power company and see where your electric use can be trimmed. Information on TECO’s program is here. Consider adding attic insulation if your house is old, many types of older insulation settle and lose R-value, costing you money every month. Alternatively, you could do something really radical and turn off the lights when you leave a room.

8. If it isn’t free, drop your gym membership and take up walking. It is easier on the knees and hips than jogging, can be done well into your 70’s and even beyond for some, and is free! Enjoy life in Florida where the outside is a great place to be!

9. Keep your tires properly inflated, put the right gas in your car and maintain it based upon the manufacturer’s recommendations.

10. If you use AAA for emergency roadside service, go to an AAA location and check out their available gift cards. You get a 3 to 5% credit in AAA dollars towards your next year AAA bill. If it is a card for a restaurant you are going to eat at anyway, a store you will shop at anyway (or even Amazon Smile), or a gift card you would give as a gift anyway, you will save an annual AAA fee in a fairly short time, certainly less than a year.

11. While I am on the topic of gift cards, buy them at a discount from a discounter like giftcardgranny.com. You can at times find meaningful discounts on hundreds of gift cards including Walmart, Target, and many large retailers.

12. Buy used, not new. A used car, if checked out carefully, is a great savings over a new car. New cars lose thousands of dollars almost the same moment you drive the car off the lot. If the car isn’t too old, you may still have some warranty left – always check. If buying a used car, always check the obvious things such as the tires. Many dealers will put new tires on a car if you spot a worn or repaired tire.

13. Used books are readily available at thrift stores, or, even better free books, magazines and videos are available at the public library.

14. Buy an Entertainment Book and eat out for 50% at many restaurants. Try Entertainment Books and see what restaurants and services are covered in your area. In the Tampa Bay area there are over 150 restaurants and services offering substantial discounts. You quickly save the cost of the book, try new places and then save a lot more.

Saving just requires that you try. The problem is that we tend to get so busy, that time is a commodity that is hard to find. But if you can find the time to try a few of these ideas here, you can save a lot. If you have additional ideas, call or email us and we will pass them on.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.

We live in a spender’s world. There are a few folks promoting the idea of saving in articles, but I rarely, if ever, see that idea of saving money in any advertisement on major network, online, or in a magazine. It just isn’t advertised or promoted. And that’s a shame, because in America we need a shift from our spending culture to one that at least accepts the idea of saving as something good.

That would be quite a change if it happened. As of February, 2019, the average credit card debt per household was at $5,700. As of October 2023, that figure had risen to $6,380. If you remove those households which pay off all charges every month and never carry a balance, the average debt rises substantially. Does anyone see a problem with debt?

Credit card debt has grown astronomically. In 1983, credit card debt was “only” $120,000,000. Now revolving debt, largely credit card debt, is over $1 trillion, nearing ten times as much debt as 40 years earlier. About 41.2% of American households carry a balance forward on their credit cards. Sadly, but predictably, the highest debt households are those with a zero or a negative net worth. Revolving debt is the most damaging and harmful debt because interest rates are the highest and committed spenders get hooked on spending.

At the same time, personal savings are low. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, personal savings rates were between 5 and 7%. However, those high rates decreased to a 1 to 3% range after the year 2000. There was a brief peak of saving during the recession from 2008 to 2010, but as the economy started recovering, spending began to soar again. As of March 2018, the savings rate in the United States was 3.1% according to Investopedia. Thankfully, by late 2024 that rate had risen to over 4%. But with debt rising faster, we still do not save nearly enough.

We need a change in the American spending culture that has developed. Why? There are many reasons ranging from financial freedom, wise planning for retirement, wise preparation for emergencies and hard times, peace of mind, along with just being better stewards of the wealth and resources God has entrusted to us.

Many people will recommend saving 10% of your disposable income. That is simply too low. See Save More, 10% Isn’t Enough.

The inevitable challenging question is, “How can I save even 10% much less more than that?” The equally inevitable answer is “by spending less, a lot of discipline, and a little sacrifice.” Here are a few more ideas with more detail than just those few words.
Develop habits

The only way you will ever reliably save over the long run is if you are fully committed and engaged in saving; get out of the habit of spending and get into the habit of saving.

Before you make a purchase, always ask yourself five questions:

• Does this fit within my monthly budget?
• Do I really need this?
• Do I have room for it?
• Will I really use this?
• Are there long-term upkeep, maintenance, parts or repair expenses or costs associated with this and can I afford those expenses?

Before you make the purchase, walk away. Wait a minimum of 10 minutes and then address the five questions. If all (yes, I said all) of the answers to the five questions are favorable, (four “yes” and one “no” is a “no”), only then should you consider making the purchase.

Write the questions down and put them in your wallet, taped to your credit card, or save them in your phone and always open them before making a purchase. But what about buying a soft drink? Yes, even that. There is even a long-term cost associated with soft drinks and food – exercise (and those things aren’t free). Those many little expenses add up quickly into budget breakers.

Another tip for you is this, set a weekly or monthly savings goal.

A final tip for creating this saving habit, leave your credit card at home and pay cash. This is far more important than you may think. Forbes Magazines says that multiple studies have shown that people spend more, a lot more, when they have the “convenience” of a credit or debit card or a pay app on their phone. Psychology Today agrees. That convenience has a cost, convenience results in spending a lot more, twice as much or an even greater amount that that based upon studies.

Saving

Saving needs to be as automatic and invisible as you can make it. In the past people had government savings bonds purchased directly out of their income before they got their check. But government savings bonds are no longer a typical investment (nor should they be). However, the idea of having the money seamlessly go to an investment or savings account and never make it to your bank checking account is a great idea.

Some articles suggest that all savings and investments should be done by hand because automatic transfers do not develop a habit. That is a reasonable concept, but I believe the greater concern is the temptation of having money visibly in your account.

When a paycheck is cashed, it is just too easy to keep $10 or $20 or even more as “spending money.” The funny thing about “spending money” is that it never gets saved and is always spent.

If a sum goes directly from your employer to a savings account (perhaps your emergency fund) or into your 401(k) or some other saving fund, it is much harder to spend. If you are doing well and get a raise, put the entire raise into savings too.

Budget and cash flow tracking

You can best follow what you spend if you keep a cash flow record that tracks every expense. See Where Does Your Money Go? to see how to get started with a cash flow analysis and budget.

This will be work and it will take time. Just know that the result will be worth it and after a few months you can relax and be less stringent because you will have developed better spending and saving habits and practices. You will also be able to see the savings add up!

Investing

After you have an emergency savings account, your savings need to go in a different direction. No one ever became wealthy on the savings rates paid by banks (except the banks themselves). To make progress against the inevitable power of the rate of inflation which is compounded annually to your detriment, you need to invest, and the best opportunity to stay ahead of inflation is the stock market. Isn’t that risky? Of course, there is risk. But read Aren’t Stocks a Risky Investment? so you can see that there is a certainty of loss if you do not invest at all.

Cutting expenses

Cutting expenses and costs needs to become equally automatic. The idea is not to be Draconian about it and not to put yourself in total self-denial. Your goal is not to deprive yourself of enjoyment of life, but keep this one fact in mind: overspending today does deprive you of enjoyment of life and spending ability in the future. Every dollar not saved today is two dollars you won’t have in the future, when you may need it much more.

For ideas on cutting expenses, see Ideas for Living Better Through Stewardship, 7 Steps for Financial Progress, It’s Time to Start Saving, Planning Your Financial Future and …, and Save More, 10% Isn’t Enough. There is no area of your spending that can’t be reduced; be creative and persistent.

Refinance

If you have debt that can be consolidated with a lower net cost to you, seriously consider consolidation. First see Debt Consolidation, Maybe and Maybe Not. Your goal is to be debt free, out of the bondage of being a borrower.

Now what?

Once you are out of debt and any loan payments stop, put the former loan payment money into your investments. Don’t just increase your spending, instead, increase your investment in your future.

Year, every household should do a financial check-up. Life happens and we begin to slip into spending patterns and habits that waste small amounts of money very easily.

How can I keep this up?

There are two points to make to answer the question, “how can I keep this up?” The first is that like any discipline, it gets easier as you develop good spending and saving habits. If you are consistent and regular with your budget and saving, you will find the pressure of the spending mindset decreases. You become more adept at spotting the subtle pressures encouraging frivolous spending and you also begin to see results as your savings and investments increase.

The second point is even more important. Your disciplined financial management is more God-honoring than the spending mind-set. For a good lesson on this point, read God and Money by Greg Baumer and John Cortines. Greg was a spender and John was a saver. Together they learned stewardship and Godly handling of money. Which rises the final issue.

Now what?

What are you saving for? If you save for 20 or 30 years and accumulate a large portfolio, so what? Being out of debt is important, but only for a short time when eternity is considered. Our lives were never meant to be just about ourselves, our comfort, and our satisfaction. We were created with a purpose, Ephesians 2:10, and that purpose is not to serve ourselves. Don’t ever forget God who made your ability to earn money and build savings possible, Deuteronomy 8:18. Don’t leave Him out of your financial plans or your life. We are called to be servants of our Creator and to be generous with the money and gifts He has given us. 2 Corinthians 9:11-13.

If you would like to earn more about your purpose and how your financial blessings (and even your financial struggles) can fit into God’s plan, give us a call at The Idlewild Foundation at (813) 264-8713.

About the Author

John Campbell has retired from a 40-year legal practice as a trial attorney in Tampa. He has served in multiple volunteer roles at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, where he met Jesus. He began serving as the Executive Director of the Idlewild Foundation in 2016. He has been married to the love of his life, Mona Puckett Campbell, since 1972.