Mum’s the Word: How Brits Celebrate Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day holds deep sentimental value for many of us, allowing us to show our appreciation for those who look after us. How we express our gratitude can play a unifying role on this day, showcasing how we choose to honour our caring mums.

We surveyed 2,000 Brits to discover the nation’s favourite ways of celebrating Mother’s Day. However, days like these can rack up a hefty bill, so how can we save money while still treating our mums to the best? We present the various ways this can be done - because pampering our mums shouldn’t have to strain our wallets.

Celebrating our Mums

The responses to our survey highlighted the diverse ways we show our love and appreciation. Gift-giving emerged as the top choice, with just over a fifth (23%) of us opting for this heartfelt gesture.[1] Around 17% prefer the timeless tradition of buying flowers, while 14% favour quality time with a nice meal out. A smaller group, around 6%, find joy in shared activities.

However, a significant 33% of people stated that they choose not to celebrate Mother’s Day. This might be because of personal reasons or simply not following the tradition. It’s important to be mindful that for some, this day might not bring the same joy or hold the same meaning as it does for others. Recognising these different feelings about the day helps us to appreciate the diverse ways people experience and view this celebration.

What Brits plan to spend on Mother’s Day

It’s fascinating to see how our spending habits match up with the ways we choose to celebrate Mother’s Day. For example, people who work with a budget under £20 might opt for a simpler celebration. They’re likely to give flowers or have a nice family meal without splurging too much, which a collective 31% of us choose to do. This lines up with the many people (34%) who aim for budget-friendly gestures under £20.

On the other hand, those spending more may go a bit further - maybe they’ll buy a thoughtful gift or plan a day out. Almost half of respondents (46%) allocate between £21 and £50, while some (9%) even stretch their budget up to £100. These spending habits show that there are multiple ways to celebrate regardless of budget!

How to save during Mother’s Day

Saving money during Mother’s Day is a serious consideration for many of us. Our data from 2023 shows how much money people managed to save during this occasion using voucher codes. We looked closely at savings over three time frames - the week leading up to Mother’s Day, the weekend, and the actual day.

Our data reveals that using voucher codes can really help in reducing costs. In fact, the total savings made by shoppers in the UK during Mother’s Day week amounted to over £105,000!

Specifically, during the week leading up to Mother’s Day, people saved an average of £17.68 per purchase - about 25% off the original basket value. As the weekend approached, savings increased even further, with an average of £18.99 saved, making for a substantial 23% off the initial cost. On the day itself, buyers managed to save an average of £18.58, resulting in a 22% reduction in their total spending. 

The category that offered the most savings was gifts & occasions. Shoppers shaved off a huge £8,604.69 and saved an average of 39% of their original basket value. This is ideal for the 23% of us who prefer the act of gift-giving. 

If you prefer to give flowers, you’re in luck, as an average of 15% per purchase was saved last year by using voucher codes online. Big savings were also made on days out and restaurants, with the average buyer saving 16% and 30% on their basket values, respectively. 

These figures show that it’s possible to be mindful of our spending while still ensuring that the gestures for our mums remain special. It demonstrates that with savvy shipping and utilising available discounts, we can express love and appreciation for our guardians without overspending. Our data shows that being financially prudent doesn’t diminish the heartfelt nature of the celebration - it’s a way to make the most of it while remaining resourceful.

About this data

[1] Statistics regarding the ways people celebrate Mother’s Day and how much they spend were taken from a YouGov survey of 2,000 UK respondents from varying backgrounds and demographics. The survey was run on 7 October 2023, all statistics were sourced from this survey unless otherwise stated.

[2] Data on the amount saved using vouchers on Mother’s Day was taken from MyVoucherCodes’ internal sales data from March 2023. Categories used to determine savings were flowers, gifts & occasions, days out & attractions, days out & tours, experience days, restaurants, food & drink and takeaways. These were then filtered by date to show the amount saved in the week leading up to Mother’s Day.