Celebrating mom this Mother’s Day is going to cost you more, thanks to inflation.
Treating mom to a meal out is expected to cost 4% more, according to a recent Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute analysis.
And going the nine yards with a Mother’s Day gift package that includes flowers, jewelry, chocolates, a spa treatment, perfume and a card will cost 6% more than last year — or $543 compared to $514 — according to CouponFollow.
Taking Mom Out to Eat Will Cost More
The Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute expects diners to spend about 4% more for a total Mother’s Day restaurant meal bill of $67, up from $64 last year. Wells Fargo credit card data from last year’s Mother’s Day spending at non quick-service restaurants was used.
The biggest reason for the increase is labor costs for the restaurant industry.
“The restaurants need to compete to maintain those workers,” Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo’s institute, told USA TODAY.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in March that wages have increased 3.8% for the leisure and hospitality category over the last 12 months.
As far as the meal goes, two popular foods for Mother’s Day — eggs and beef — have seen some dramatic price changes in the last year.
Fortunately, Swanson said, the price of eggs has dropped from last year’s highs following the impacts from bird flu.
“Maybe this is the year to do a Mother’s Day brunch since egg costs are down significantly from a year ago,” Swanson said. “A year ago in March, the cost of a dozen eggs was $6.23 and this year in March they were $2.35.”
But if beef is on the Mother’s Day menu, the meal might cost more. Beef prices are high as the market has struggled to rebuild supply while there is record demand.
The retail price of beef is up 17% in the most recent USDA Retail Meat Price report, according to Wells Fargo. By comparison, retail pork prices are up 1.3% in the same period and the composite price of broiler chickens is down 1.9%.
What Parts of a Mother’s Day Gift Package Increased?
If gifts are more your style, those costs are also increasing. Flowers, jewelry and chocolates saw the steepest increases, each climbing more than 7% year over year, according to CouponFollow.
“A key takeaway from our study is just how quickly costs are adding up across various categories,” Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow, told USA TODAY. “While inflation is always anticipated, these hidden costs can catch consumers off guard. Planning ahead and using discounts where possible can make a meaningful impact on budgets this year.”
Here’s a look at how costs went up:
- Flower bouquet: up 7.3%, from $54.53 in 2025 to $58.50 in 2026
- Jewelry (under $500): up 7.3%, from $213.82 to $229.34
- Chocolate and candy: up 7.2%, from $37.97 to $40.71
- Perfume: up 1.1%, from $66.87 to $67.57
- Greeting cards: up 1.1%, from $6.83 to $6.90
The most expensive parts of the package remain jewelry at $229 and spa services at an average of $140. The two make up 68% of the total gift package price, CouponFollow said.
Procrastination Will Also Cost You
If you wait too long to buy your Mother’s Day gifts, that’s going to cost you more, too. Last-minute shoppers pay anywhere from $5 to $20 more per gift in rush shipping fees, ranging from an extra $5 for same-day flower delivery to $20 for overnight chocolates.
Reporting by Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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