Money Management

Mother’s Day is May 14 this year. Keep reading for seven Amazon gifts for under $25 that Mom will love. 

Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. That means that anyone under the age of 109 has never known a year without Mother’s Day. And yet some of us act as though it snuck up on us every single year, and then panic about what we’re going to buy for Mom.

Of course, many mothers are thrilled with handmade gifts and notes. We moms are a mushy bunch. However, if you really want to pick something up for your mother but are on a budget and don’t want to drain your bank account, Amazon has a pretty spectacular range of gifts from which to choose. Here are seven that are sure to make any mother smile.

1. Mom’s Last Nerve Candle

Amazon price: $16.95

If your mom has a sense of humor, she’s sure to enjoy this lemongrass scented candle, rated to burn for 60 hours. The front of the candle reads, “Mom’s Last Nerve: oh look…it’s on fire.”

2. Best Mom Ever Coffee Mug

Amazon price: $22.91

For all the times your mom stayed up late worrying about you or pulled out a credit card to pay for something you “absolutely could not live without,” now is a good time to say thanks.

While giving her a coffee mug may not seem like you went out of your way, this one really is pretty special. It comes in marbled white or pink, and is packed in a lovely marbled box. Nestled in the box is also a matching coaster and gold spoon for stirring.

3. Wooden Family Birthday Reminder Calendar Board

Amazon price: $11.99

We’re convinced that every mother on the planet should have one of these. It’s a simple wooden board measuring 15.7″ x 4″. The board reads, “Family. The ones we live with, laugh with, and love.” The months of the years are printed at the bottom of the board, under which Mom can hang the name and birthdate for each of her loved ones born in that month. It comes with 50 wooden circles and 50 wooden hearts, so even a mother with a huge family will be able to include everyone.

4. Engraved Cutting Board

Amazon price: $11.99 (plus 30% off with digital coupon)

This 11.6″ x 8.07″ x 0.6″ organic bamboo cutting board is engraved with a sweet recipe describing the perfect mom. The engraved side of the board is strictly for decoration, while the other side is for everyday use.

5. Plant Terrarium

Amazon price: $13.99

For the plant-loving moms among us, this gift manages to be both retro and modern at the same time. It consists of a wooden stand with three glass bulb-shaped vases. Because it’s hydroponic, Mom can grow just about anything she wants in those vases — from herbs to small houseplants.

6. Acrylic Puzzle-Shaped Night Light on Wood Base

Amazon price: $16.99 (plus 15% off with digital coupon)

The puzzle-shaped acrylic reads, “Mom. Thank you for being such an important piece of my life. I love you forever.” The table-top night light measures 4″ x 6″ x 6.3″. This is a lovely way to light up a side table in Mom’s living room.

7. 11-Piece Spa Gift Box

Amazon price: $23.95

Spoil Mom a little with this 11-piece spa box. Your mother will find the box impressive even before she opens it. Nestled inside are a 12 oz. rose gold insulated stainless steel tumbler with the words, “Sometimes you forget that you are awesome so this is your reminder,” two bath bombs, a handmade diamond soap, a 7 oz. 100% soy wax candle with the words, “Sending you a big hug,” one decorative flower, a pair of fuzzy socks, and a greeting card. It also comes with a cleaning brush and straw to use with the tumbler.

The average financial cost of raising a child is a bit shocking, but the emotional cost is incalculable. Chances are, though, your mom loves (nearly) every minute of it. Mother’s Day is a time when you can both celebrate the unique relationship between mother and child. And picking up one of these sweet gifts can make the day easier on your budget.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Dana George has positions in Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Going to the NBA Finals isn’t cheap. Find out how much tickets to the NBA Finals cost and the factors that affect prices the most. 

The 2023 NBA Finals will start on June 1 and could last until June 18, if the series reaches a Game 7. If you’re a basketball fan, you’ve probably dreamed about what it would be like to go to a game.

Even though we’re still a few weeks away and the matchup isn’t set, there are already NBA Finals tickets for sale. You can buy tickets to potential home games for any team that’s still in contention. If you buy an NBA Finals ticket for a team that later gets eliminated, you’ll receive a refund. Based on what’s currently available, we can get an idea of what ticket prices will be like.

How much do tickets to the NBA Finals cost?

Tickets to the 2023 NBA Finals start at $532 to $2,888 for upper level seats, depending on the team, according to prices from SeatGeek. Lower level seats range from $1,000 to $5,000 or more, once again depending on the team. The most expensive seats cost more than $25,000.

Those prices are before taxes and fees, which generally add about 30%. With taxes and fees, you can expect to pay at least $700 to $1,200 per ticket for most teams.

While there are many factors that affect NBA Finals ticket prices, the most important are:

The teams that are playingThe game you go toThe seats you choose

Prices are much higher for popular teams and marquee matchups. The most expensive team to see in the NBA Finals, by far, is the New York Knicks. Ticket prices at Madison Garden start at $2,888 before taxes and fees. The Los Angeles Lakers are the next most expensive, with ticket prices starting at $1,078 before taxes and fees.

The cheapest NBA Finals tickets currently available would be at the Miami Heat, starting at $532 before taxes and fees. The Heat would be beating some long odds if they went that far, as only one No. 8 seed has reached the NBA Finals before. But with how well they’re playing, they certainly have a good shot.

Ticket prices also tend to increase as the series goes on. Game 4 usually has higher prices than the first three, and if they’re necessary, Games 5, 6, and 7 all get even more expensive. After all, the pressure and importance of each game ratchets up deeper into the series. And everything from Game 4 on is a potential series-clinching game, so there’s the possibility of seeing the trophy presentation.

How to make an NBA Finals dream into a reality

It’s expensive to go to the NBA Finals, but if it’s a dream of yours, you could make it happen. You’ll just need to make it a personal finance priority, since the main obstacle is the cost.

With any type of big expense, the best-case scenario is that you can afford to pay in full. That’s probably unrealistic if you’re starting from $0 and you want to go to this year’s NBA Finals. But if there’s no rush, you could set up a high-yield savings account that’s specifically for NBA Finals tickets. If you start saving $250 every month, to give an example, you’d have $3,000 (plus the interest earned) saved for tickets by this time next year.

What if you don’t have enough saved for tickets, but your favorite team makes it and you really want to cheer them on? You could consider borrowing money. It’s normally not recommended to borrow money for things you don’t need, but with a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it could be worth making an exception.

If you decide to borrow money, there are a couple of good options:

0% APR credit cards: This type of credit card has a 0% APR on purchases for an intro period, and the best ones offer intro periods of 12 months or longer. So, if you pay off the balance within the intro period, there are no interest charges.Personal loans: This type of loan can be used for anything you want. You’ll have a fixed interest rate, term, and payment amount.

Look into 0% APR credit cards first, since you could avoid interest charges entirely with one of these. Personal loans are nice because they have predictable payment amounts, but nothing beats borrowing money interest-free.

To be clear, you should definitely give it some thought before you borrow money to go to the NBA Finals. It’s better if you can save up for tickets, and you could also consider going to a regular season game instead to keep costs down. If you do decide to borrow money, whether through a 0% APR card or a loan, make sure to pay it back as quickly as possible.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Looking to boost your savings this month? Read on to see how your cash reserves could get a $100 bump. 

A recent SecureSave survey found that 67% of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency expense. Now the reality is that it’s wise to have enough money in your savings account to cover a minimum of three months of expenses. But if you’re nowhere close to that mark, it might take time to get there.

Rather than let yourself get overwhelmed, a good bet is to set small, attainable savings goals that you aim to achieve each month. And if you’re just starting out in May, it’s perfectly fair to set your goal at $100. Here are a few steps you can take to bank $100 and set yourself on a solid path to building a strong financial cushion.

1. Do more cooking

Some people hate to cook. Others don’t have time for it. No matter which boat you fall into, try to make an effort to prepare meals in your own kitchen more often and dine out less frequently. If you can replace even one restaurant meal a week with a home-cooked alternative, you might manage to bank an extra $100 in the course of a month.

That said, if you’re going to do more cooking at home to save money, don’t fall back on those meal kits many people get delivered to their homes and expect to save much. They may be less expensive than restaurants, but they’re generally pricier than going to the supermarket.

2. Don’t go all out on Mother’s Day

If you love your mom, you may be tempted to shower her with flowers and gifts, and splurge for a nice meal. But if you’re really trying to boost your cash reserves, skip the fanfare this year and instead come up with a less expensive gift from the heart, like a framed photo of the family.

Now if you’re not someone who does a lot of cooking, the idea of having to host a Mother’s Day brunch rather than go out for one might seem daunting. In that case, consider a potluck brunch where other family members bring dishes of their own. Or, keep things really low-key and make it a Mother’s Day picnic at a scenic spot. You might rack up a minimal credit card tab compared to what you’d spend at a restaurant.

3. Start a book club

Maybe you don’t consider yourself a reader. Or maybe you like to read, but it’s something you tend to do on your own when you have time, and it’s not a primary source of entertainment for you.

A big source of spending for a lot of people tends to be entertainment and socializing. The beauty of starting a book club is that you can access books for free thanks to your local library, and then turn reading into a social activity by taking turns hosting book club gatherings with friends.

As a host, all you really need to do is clear some space in your home, put out light refreshments, and get ready to discuss the book you and your friends have all agreed upon. And if you’d rather spend 10 minutes talking about the book and the rest of your book club session catching up on life, that’s totally acceptable.

Saving $100 this month is doable if you’re willing to change a few habits and traditions. Push yourself to bank that $100, especially if you’re pretty much starting out with no money in savings to tap in a pinch.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Interested in term life insurance? Read on to see what will influence your premium charges. 

If you have people in your life who depend on you financially, or who might get hurt financially if you were to pass away unexpectedly, then life insurance is a purchase you should prioritize.

Within the realm of life insurance, you have choices. You could spend a lot of money on whole life insurance, which will cover you on a permanent basis and accumulate a cash value. Or, you could spend a lot less money on term life insurance, which will only cover you for a predetermined period of time and will not accrue a cash value.

Many financial experts will tell you that of the two, getting a term life insurance policy makes the most sense. That’s because whole life insurance can be so expensive that you could risk falling behind on payments for it and having your policy lapse.

But while term life insurance may be less expensive than whole life insurance, it’s certainly far from free. So it’s important to understand what goes into calculating your premium rates.

Financial guru Dave Ramsey says that the two main factors that dictate what term life insurance will cost you are age and health. So it’s best to consider those when timing your application.

Don’t wait too long to get life insurance

You might assume that if you’re in your 20s or 30s, you don’t need life insurance, and there’s no sense in paying for it at such a young age. But actually, the younger you are when you get life insurance, the lower your premium costs might be. And also, if you’re in your 20s or 30s but have dependents, the reality is that it doesn’t matter that you’re young — you still need a policy in place.

Ramsey says that a non-smoker looking for a $1 million term life insurance policy might pay $54 a month for a 20-year term if they apply at age 30. Wait 10 years, and that same policy could cost $84 a month.

Work on improving your health

The more health issues you present with, the more life insurance is likely to cost you. So if you can work on improving your health before applying for a policy, it might result in lower costs.

Let’s say you’re 15 pounds overweight. That could result in higher life insurance premiums. But if you can shed those pounds, you might spend less.

Similarly, let’s say you’re a smoker but have been thinking of quitting. If you manage to kick the habit before you apply, life insurance might end up being far more affordable. In fact, Ramsey says that life insurance rates can be double for people who smoke compared to non-smokers.

Putting life insurance in place is one of the most important things you might do for your family. If you apply at a relatively young age, and at a time when you’re in good health, you may find that your premiums fit into your budget fairly seamlessly, and that you’re able to manage them without too much financial stress.

Our picks for best life insurance companies

Life insurance is essential if you have people depending on you. We’ve combed through the options and developed a best-in-class list for life insurance coverage. This guide will help you find the best life insurance companies and the right type of policy for your needs. Read our free review today.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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