Mother’s Day has always come with the familiar plea from mums not to “make a fuss”, but tighter household budgets mean many families are taking that literally. Fewer than one in three people plan to buy a gift this year and about a third expect to spend the day at home instead of going out.
A Roy Morgan survey for the Australian Retail Council shows 31% of Australians intend to celebrate with a meal at home, while just 8% are booking restaurants and 7% are heading to cafes. Spending patterns mirror the broader cost-of-living squeeze.
Mother’s Day carries another layer of meaning for the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, which connects the day to long-running fundraising efforts. Its chief executive co-founded the Mother’s Day Classic run in 1998 alongside Women in Super’s former chair, turning personal loss from breast cancer into a national charity event.
The Mother’s Day Classic now takes place across more than 90 locations and is expected to attract up to 100,000 participants this Sunday. Those walkers and runners have already helped channel more than $50 million into breast cancer research, tying a family celebration to a major health cause.
