Still looking for a Mother’s Day gift? The clock is ticking. Suggestions for 5 classic options

Last-minute deals on 5 classic Mother’s Day gifts

NEW YORK — With Mother’s Day just days away, there are plenty of options left for procrastinators, but most involve shelling out major bucks. This year, though, as retailers chase dollars amid the recession, some low-price options are available.

Here’s how to get deals on five classic gifts:

1. Flowers. The date to get free shipping offers has passed. But you can still find deals at 1-800-flowers.com and FTD.com, both of which have arrangements starting at $19.99 — which can help offset the last-minute shipping costs. 1-800-flowers.com is also offering 30 Mother’s Day gifts for $30 until Saturday.

2. Chocolate. Inexpensive chocolates can be found at drug stores and grocery stores of course, but for more discerning moms, Godiva is offering free brownies with an in-store purchase of $25, and a 10-piece treat bag with an in-store purchase of $45, through Sunday.

3. Brunch. Several chain restaurants are offering enticements for Mother’s Day brunchers. At T.G.I. Friday’s and McCormick & Schmick’s, moms will get a free desert. For Japanese cuisine-loving moms, Benihana is taking a different tack: Mothers will receive a complimentary signed souvenir photo taken with her personal chef. For after-brunch treats, TCBY will offer moms a free frozen yogurt and some Dunkin’ Donuts are giving out a free small latte.

4. Electronics. Through Saturday, Target is offering a free bath gift set worth $25 from Soap & Glory — the lower priced line of Bliss spa founder Marcia Kilgore — when you purchase one of three electronics: a $129 Kodak Zi6 camcorder, a $146 TomTom One 140 GPS system or a $146 8GB iPod Nano. Shoppers can decide if mom gets the gift set, the electronic, or both. A less-expensive choice for electro-savvy moms is a $10 digital-picture key chain that holds up to 50 pictures.

5. Perfume. Amazon.com is offering $10 off orders of perfume for $59 or more, including Euphoria by Calvin Klein and Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker, through Saturday. Buy.com and PayPal are offering $5 off perfume purchases of $50 or more through Monday. Another option: Though known mainly for deals on clothing and accessories, off-price retailers such as T.J. Maxx and Filene’s Basement offer a wide variety of perfume at a discount.