Is an iphone too expensive as a (belated) mother’s day gift? My mother needs a new phone and has been using iphone for a long time. She is now retired and probably can’t afford an iphone, but she’d want an iphone to use facetime, and privacy. MIL has money but uses cheaper phones. I want to buy one for my mom and MIL as well (for fairness). But somehow it also seems like a big spend as we’re also paying mortgage. We’re immigrants and also we pay for flights etc every year for parents. WWYD?

Get them something you can afford.
An iPhone may be a great gift from what you described, but if it’s not in your budget, think of something else they’d enjoy.

What’s your annual budget for spending on gifts per person? We usually set an annual budget for each parent/set of parent and then depending on the gift either club multiple occasions and give one gift or give several. Also, do not gift an iPhone to your MIL if she has the money but uses cheaper one because that’s what she would prefer and giving her an iPhone would not serve the purpose. In past for fairness, I have focused on the amount rather than gift/gifts. So if I get my MIL a jewelers which I know she would appreciate, I would get my Mum a new watch. Flights and stay really add up if its across continents so decide how much are you really to budget for annual gift and then decide if iPhone as a single gift is worth it.

You can do monthly installments if it’s too expensive as a single upfront cost

My brother and I bought my mom an iPhone for her birthday this year since she had a 7 that I also bought her that had a terrible battery life. She wouldn’t have ever bought it herself and I think it was the best/most useful present. It’s kind of you to do so but since you’d be buying two, it’s ok if you wait on it.

We hand down our older ones. My mother doesn’t require the newest one, can afford it but doesn’t want to pay for it, but loves the apple platform.

We did a hand me down for my MIL and got my parents the SEs a couple years ago when their phones were dying

Refurbished one?

I’d figure out when she’s due for an upgrade. If it’s going to be awhile, perhaps getting her an iPhone that is a few models back will work. Definitely not the latest model.

For large purchases I kind of end up combining birthday / Mother’s Day gifts because i think it’s better to buy bigger things that they will use rather than something that will just lay around.

My husband and I got all of our parents’ new iPhones through the span of 2 years, prioritizing based on their need for a new phone. Could you do something similar where you stagger the gifts out a bit? It will still be “fair” but might be easier to manage financially