The poll for the Brighton Gift Card has revealed some of the key challenges faced by mums, from ‘mum guilt’ to worry and limited time. 77% of mums feel guilty about spending money on themselves
A new Mother’s Day campaign from the Brighton Gift Card is encouraging people to think about what mums really want and need this Mother’s Day, supporting local businesses at the same time.
The poll with over 370 mums has shown that 77% of mums feel guilty spending money on themselves. Clothes, shoes and bags are the items that 76% of mums feel guilty spending money on, followed by beauty treatments (59%), nights out/days out and holidays (59%), meals out (42%) and the gym/health/fitness activities (27%).
92% of mums have wished for more time for themselves and 80% have wished for more time with their friends. A massive 68% of mums are working into the evenings and weekends. Almost a third of mums are spending more than 90 minutes each day on household tasks, with a quarter of mums saying they get just 15 minutes each day purely to themselves.
95% of mums said they worry more since having children, with children being what tends to worry mums most, followed by finances, partner/love life and work.
The Brighton Gift Card, part of the Town & City Gift Card concept, was recently launched by Brilliant Brighton (also known as Brighton’s Business Improvement District, a collective of city centre retail, leisure and hospitality businesses who put on projects including the city centre’s Christmas lights scheme, and dressing the city in the summer with colourful bunting, banners and hanging baskets, to help make Brighton a wonderful place to work, live and visit) and can be spent with over 50 local businesses, including shops, restaurants, salons and more, giving people an easy way to support local.
In the research, 96% of mums surveyed said they’d like to receive a local gift card for Mother’s Day, with beauty treatments, a meal out and clothes, shoes and bags being the top items mums would spend their gift card on.
Shelley Welti, Marketing and Events Manager for Brilliant Brighton said support for local this Mother’s Day and beyond is vital: “The reality is that many of us deliberate before spending on ourselves, especially in the cost of living crisis. This Mother’s Day, the Brighton Gift Card gives mums the chance to treat themselves to things they might usually think twice about, from a trip to the salon or lunch with friends to new clothes or a night out, all supporting our fantastic local businesses.”
The poll was undertaken by Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept, as part of a national ‘mums love local’ campaign alongside Brilliant Brighton. Over 370 mums from across the UK and Ireland took part in the research.
Colin Munro, the managing director of Miconex, said: “For Mother’s Day 2024, we wanted to shine a light on what it means to be a mum in 2024. The results sit right at the heart of why we give gift cards, and why we like spending them. 92% of people prefer giving a gift card to cash with 77% saying this is because it encourages the recipient to treat themselves. And when it comes to spending gift cards, 71% see a gift card as free money. It’s a guilt-free gift. By choosing the Brighton Gift Card this Mother’s Day, you can give your mum choice and freedom to spend the card as they choose, helping local businesses at the same time.”
The gift card can be purchased online at www.brightongiftcard.co.uk (where the lucky recipient can be sent either a physical or digital card), or picked up and topped up at home, from a range of locations. This includes: Bird & Blend Tea Co.,Simon Webster Hair, Toby Tiger, Silverado, Embassy London, Brunswick Fine Wines & Spirits, Brighton Station and Brighton Travel Shop.
