With Mother’s Day right around the corner, children everywhere are starting to think about how they will celebrate their mom. But just how much is the average Canadian willing to dish out for dear mom?
Finder did some digging to find out. Our research suggests that 59% of Canadians, or 17.7 million people, intend to celebrate by spending on their moms, with the average amount of $111. That adds up to nearly $2 billion that Canadians intend to spend this Mother’s Day. The other 41%, or 12.3 million, said that they would not be spending any money on Mother’s Day this year.
But it turns out there were a lot of differences to unpack. How many Canadians are planning to celebrate their mothers? Do young Canadians spend more? Do sons spend more than daughters? Which provinces spend the most? Let’s crunch the numbers.
Sons spoil their mothers
Apparently the stereotype of the “Mama’s Boy” has some truth to it. Our survey revealed men spend an average of $123 on Mother’s Day, while women spend $99 on average.
Interestingly, while men and women were almost equally as likely to celebrate Mother’s Day (59% and 60% respectively), men spent on average $24 dollars more than women did on their mothers.
Young and rich?
Millennials were the most likely to celebrate Mother’s Day at 78%, closely followed by gen Z at 76%, gen X at 66%, baby boomers at 38% and the silent generation at 33%. This trend isn’t really surprising as the sad reality is that the older we get, the greater the chance that our moms won’t be around to celebrate.
Interestingly, Canada’s youngest generation, gen Z, is the most generous. Those in gen Z said that they would spend an average of $231 on Mother’s Day this year, which is more than double what millennials said they would spend at $103, or gen Xers who said they would spend $99. Boomers and the silent generation spend a bit less at $95 and $73 respectively.
Ontarians most likely to celebrate Mother’s Day, while Manitobans spend the most
Ontarians were the most likely to mark Mother’s Day in their calendars and celebrate, with 64% participating, closely followed by Albertans at 60% and Quebecers rounding out the top three at 57%.
Surprisingly, while only 43% of Manitobans were willing to open their wallets for their moms, of those that did, they spent an average of $278. This is a shocking 117% more than the next most generous province, Ontario, whose residents spent an average of $128, followed closely by Albertans at $123. Many Nova Scotians may opt to show their moms love in non-monetary ways, as they spent the least at $55 on average.
How to celebrate mom: Social distancing edition
Mother’s Day 2020 will look very different this year. For the first time ever, millions of Canadians are unable to visit their mothers in person. While this is difficult, there are still many ways to celebrate the mom in your life, even when apart.
Virtual party
After weeks of staying home, most of us have had to give one or two Zoom tutorials and have said “Mom, you’re on mute” more times than we can count. Now that our boomer moms are a little savvier with their tech, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to get together with your siblings and schedule a family meeting.
Bonus points if you can get any grandkids to perform a tribute to grandma in song, or by showing some cute artwork.
Mother’s Day brunch
For many Canadians, Mother’s Day brunch is a cherished annual tradition. Keep it special this year by having the little ones make breakfast in bed. For adult children who are away from mom, use a food delivery service to bring her favourite restaurant meal to her doorstep.
Give the gift of self-care
We can thank our lucky stars for the countless online shopping options at our fingertips. Mothers always deserve a little pampering, but in times like these, gifts like a floral bouquet, decadent bubble bath or soothing candles in her favourite scent will go a long way to help her de-stress.
Save some coin
In times of economic crisis, it’s normal to want to score a deal wherever you can. Thankfully, brands have a wide variety of special promos on at the moment that will help you get mom the best gift, without having to pay top dollar.
Make it personal
No matter what your plans are, remember that a personal touch goes a long way. Most moms will tell you it isn’t a lavish gift that will make them most happy, but rather quality time with their kids, or a nice gesture from the heart.
This data is from a consumer survey of 1,199 Canadian adults commissioned by Finder and conducted by PureProfile in February 2020. Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Yukon were not included in the geographic breakdown due to not having enough responses.
Nicole McKnight is the Canada PR Manager at Finder. Nicole completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts (English Literature) at McMaster University and holds a certification in Corporate Communications. You can contact her at nicole.mcknight@finder.com.
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