The best deals for Mother's Day 2016

Moms are great, but finding the perfect gift for Mother's Day can be challenging. Fortunately, many stores put out some of their best deals for the holiday.

If our mothers taught us anything it was that naps are for lightweights, pizza is not one of our five-a-day (despite clever counter arguments), and being frugal is second to none as a superpower.

In honor of the latter lesson, we dug into the DealNews archives to take a look at the very best Mother's Day deals from the past few years, so you'll know how to save the most while gift shopping this week. And according to our data, you might want to ditch the pricey flowers and chocolates this year, and opt for a more imaginative gift instead.

Abandon Tradition and Get Tech Gifts, Books

Just because Hallmark thinks petunias and heart-shaped candy are the perfect gift for mom doesn't mean they're right for your discerning mother. Luckily, in previous years, we've seen a rise in sales for non-traditional gifts in the weeks leading up to Mother's Day.

The internet may be loaded with all things pink and scented in the coming weeks, but that's not to say that there haven't been plenty of impressive discounts on gifts for the most tech-savvy of moms. Outside of Amazon and eBay offers in 2015, we saw more Editors' Choice deals from reader-favorite electronics store Newegg than from any other outlet. In 2014, it was Best Buy that topped the list and was the prime spot for non-traditional Mother's Day deals.

One particular offer we're hoping to see again this year is Barnes & Noble's sitewide coupon offer. The outlet chopped 20% off one item, which was the perfect cost-cutter for book-loving moms. In the previous year, the store also dropped its NOOK eReader to the best ever price we'd seen to date.

Diamond Deals Are Already Shining Through

Although we saw a couple of lackluster jewelry sales in the last few years, Jewelry.com has already posted its Mother's Day sale for this year and is knocking up to an impressive 80% off, with additional "buy more, save more" discounts. That beats previous' years diamond and pearl offers, as we've traditionally seen few discounts on these popular gifts ahead of the day in question.

And if the last couple of months' deals are any indication, Amazon's daily deal section is also a great spot to keep tabs on discounted pieces.

Shop for Designer Clothing Discounts

If you're shopping for a sartorially-inclined mom, rest assured that many of our favorite designers will drop their prices in the run-up to Mother's Day.

Last year, a Michael Kors handbag offer was the most popular deal of the whole season. The store cut up to 70% off some of its most popular clutches, satchels, and totes, with many pieces dropping to all-time lows. Nordstrom Rack shows promise for trendy trinkets, as it knocked up to a massive 90% off designer apparel, shoes, and accessories in 2015. Both Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft earned an Editors' Choice nod for their sales too, as they took an extra 60% off and 70% off respectively.

Or Look for Designer Fragrance Deals

If your mom is too hard to pick out threads for, you might consider opting for a new scent instead. Perfumania cut 20% off across the store and offered free shipping on all orders during the week of Mother's Day last year. Although they've been absent from our Editors' Choice Mother's Day offers in the past, FragranceX is ahead of the game this year, as it already posted its Mom's Day sale a week ago. The store is cutting up to 80% off with an extra 15% off all designer scents.

Get a Daily Deal to Avoid Spending Too Much on Flowers

Predictably, we've seen few jaw-dropping deals on flowers in the weeks leading up to Mother's Day, but there are alternative ways to save on stems. For two years running, Groupon has offered a cost-cutting credit for flower delivery service, FTD, so we're hoping to see a similar offer go live in the next few days.

If you're really strapped for cash, you can get even more imaginative and sign up for a free packet of flower seeds via Bayer's Feed a Bee campaign. The freebie is available for the second year in a row and will allow you penny-pinchers to plant some buds for your mom to enjoy in the coming months.

So whether your mom is really into scarves, or beats you to the Xbox on her day off (or both), you can treat her to a thoughtful gift she'll actually want this year without breaking the bank. Readers, what's your Mother's Day shopping strategy? Let us know in the comments below.

This article first appeared at DealNews.