PRESS RELEASE

(DALLAS) May 5, 2010 - Mother's Day is this Sunday and many consumers are currently planning for something special this weekend, but looking for ways to show mom they care without breaking their budget.

"You don't have to go into debt to show your mom you appreciate her," said Todd Mark, vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas. "Take time to come up with a thoughtful gift for your mother, grandmother or wife that will cost you little to no money. The gift and the memories made will last a lifetime without increasing your debt."

CCCS of Greater Dallas shares the following five ideas to say, "Happy Mother's Day," without maxing out your credit cards.

1. Take care of the chores your mom does each day. Make a list of your mother's everyday chores and let her know you'll be taking care of all of them for her. Add in a few extras such as mowing the lawn, doing additional landscaping or washing the car. She'll greatly appreciate the relaxation and much needed time off.

2. Protect and display her precious memories. Find some old family photos to scan and create a photo CD of her favorite memories. Most new computers have photo editing software that allows you to add music to create a slideshow. Save it on your mother's desktop for a special surprise.

3. Make something yourself. While you may not have made your mom a gift since grade school, consider making her one. Find a plain, reasonably priced picture frame, decorate it with her favorite things and use the frame for a recent photo of your family. You could also decorate a flower pot for her front porch and include dirt and flower seeds with it, giving her a beautiful year-round decoration.

4. Spend a day together. In today's hectic society, sometimes it can be hard to find time to spend with your loved ones. Plan a day for just you and mom that involve her favorite activities. You could take your mother to lunch, watch her favorite movie or find a craft show for her favorite hobby. At the end of the day, make her favorite dinner to enjoy with the entire family.

5. Shop the sales. If you prefer to purchase mom a gift, search online for coupons and discount codes. Sign up for e-mails from her favorite retailers and restaurants and look for discounts there. Most retailers will be offering promotions for Mother's Day, so shop smart.

About CCCS of Greater Dallas
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Inc. is a nonprofit, community based credit counseling and debt management service. Established in 1974, CCCS of Greater Dallas and its affiliate offices provide financial education and counseling to consumers in-person, by phone, or Internet through their 24 locations in four states. CCCS of Greater Dallas is a HUD approved housing counselor and serves as one of eight counseling agencies supporting the 888-995-HOPE Hotline. The agency is also a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), the nation's largest and longest serving national non-profit credit counseling network. To learn more about CCCS of Greater Dallas' free seminars or the agency's services, visit www.cccs.net.