The under-$50 Mother's Day budget has a simple rule: pick small specific well-made things, not large generic well-marketed things.
Set the quiz to 'Under $25' or 'Under $50' for the budget question. The quiz weights complete small items (a single nice candle, a chocolate flight) higher than miniature versions of larger gifts (a tiny bottle of perfume, a smaller spa kit).
Strongest under-$25 picks. Heirloom seed starter kit with 12 named varieties ($24). Single hand-poured soy candle from a small maker ($25 to $40). Single jar of single-origin honey ($18 to $30). Letter-a-month subscription you write tonight ($24 to $35).
Strongest under-$50 picks. Single-origin chocolate flight, six bars ($35 to $65). Tea or honey tasting box ($35 to $80). Artisan salt and pepper sampler ($38 to $75). Knitting starter kit ($38 to $80). Watercolor starter kit ($30 to $55).
Two pairings under $80. Letter-a-month ($30) plus a single nice candle ($35). Single-origin chocolate flight ($35) plus a small jar of raw honey ($25). Both read as more thoughtful than one $80 gift would.
The mistake to avoid. Buying a small generic version of a larger gift. A miniature spa basket, a tiny cashmere scarf, a sample-size perfume; all three signal you wished you had spent more. Pick a complete small thing instead, ideally a specific consumable from a small maker.
The wrapping move. A nice tissue and a handwritten card on a $40 gift makes it read as a $70 gift. A plastic shopping bag on a $90 gift makes it read as a $40 gift. Wrapping budget is real and underrated.