12 Easy and Affordable Father’s Day Gifts Dad Will Love
Our dads are our protectors, providers, and all-around “help me!” guys. They’re there for us when we need them, and particularly on Father’s Day we want to show how much we love them, but that doesn’t mean it has to cost a fortune. Here are 12 easy and affordable Father’s Day gifts that Dad will love!
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1. Go to his favorite restaurant
I’m gonna guess most dads would love this one. Who doesn’t love a delicious meal from their favorite restaurant?
And if your dad’s anything like mine and more of a homebody, you can get it to go and have a nice, relaxing meal with the family at home.
The best thing about this idea is that, even though you’re getting an amazing meal, it doesn’t have to end up blowing your budget.
Check out Groupon to score a good deal on your dad’s favorite restaurant. Or check with the restaurant itself, they just might be running a special Father’s Day promotion!
Another trick I love to cut costs for occasions like this is to use a gift card. Maybe you already have one you received as a gift, but if you don’t, no problem.
Often times you can cash in your credit card reward points for a gift card. They usually have a variety of restaurants to choose from, but if your dad’s favorite isn’t one of them, no worries.
You can choose a generic gift card instead, like a Visa debit gift card. If that’s not available, you could choose to get cash back instead and then charge the meal to that credit card knowing it’ll be covered.
2. Get him a subscription to his favorite magazine
This one is great because there are so many magazines out there that you’re almost guaranteed to find one your dad will like.
On the downside, magazine subscriptions can be ridiculously expensive, but not if you know where to look.
Try finding a code online for a discount on the magazine you’re looking for. My favorite place to find these codes is at RetailMeNot.com.
You can also do a quick Google search for “cheap magazines” or “discount magazines” and lots of results will pop up to choose from.
I used Magazines.com one Christmas to order my dad a subscription to Reminisce magazine. I got a huge deal on it, and my dad got a magazine that he loved that he could sit and thumb through on rainy days.
BONUS TIP: Sometimes you can find magazine subscriptions as a choice to get with those credit card reward points.
3. Cook his favorite meal
I mentioned before that my dad is a homebody, so he’d usually rather have a nice homecooked meal than go out to eat.
Some of the meals that are his favorite take time to prepare—like cabbage rolls, he loves those things!—so Father’s Day is a great opportunity to put in the extra time and effort in the kitchen to show your dad how much he means to you.
This is what my sister and I usually do for our dad. He’s not a fan of gifts, and anything we’ve ever bought him usually just sits around collecting dust. So this one is perfect for him.
I’m thinking we might make him stuffed peppers this year, but we’ll see… Maybe it’ll end up being homemade tacos, that’s one of his favorites too!
4. Make his favorite dessert
Does your dad have a sweet tooth? Mine doesn’t really. But he does like a good cake or homemade pie once in a while.
I make my pie crust from scratch from an amazing recipe that I learned in Foods class in high school, believe it or not. And my dad loves a good apple pie with a scratch crust, so that’s probably what I’ll bake for him this Father’s Day. Super affordable and delicious!
Maybe your dad has a favorite candy he likes, or a certain bakery where he loves their cakes. Father’s Day is the perfect time to splurge a little on Dad for his favorite treat, but if it’s not affordable, why not make it at home instead?
Or, if your dad is set on that cake from his favorite place, have your siblings go in with you to get it for him, and do the rest of the dinner at home instead of a restaurant to help stay within your budget.
There are lots of ways to mix and match in order to make the day more easy and affordable, and your dad will still love that you thought of him and spent the day with him.
5. Write him a heartfelt letter
This one would not fly with my dad. Lol. He’s not a touchy-feely kind of person. My mom was very much that way, and so I wrote her a heartfelt letter for her birthday one year.
But my dad? Not so much. And that’s okay. Actually, I could see him appreciating this now that’s he’s a bit older, but it would probably make him cry, and he hates things like that. Lol.
Other dads? This would totally be something that would mean the world to them. If your dad is one of those, then think about writing him a letter to tell him how much he means to you.
You can reminisce about all the things he’s taught you throughout the years, recall your favorite times together, the laughs, the adventures, all the memories. I know lots of dads would love that!
My grandpa would have liked this one a lot. He knew I loved him very much, but I wish he was still around so I could write him a letter. It would’ve been really fun to do and something I know he would’ve treasured.
Here’s a thought. Maybe your dad is one of those dads who is NOT into sharing emotions, like mine. So if you don’t talk about things like how much you mean to each other, maybe a letter would be the perfect way to share it.
You could do one of the suggestions on this list to celebrate Father’s Day, and then before you leave, just hand him the letter. That way he could read it on his own and it wouldn’t be awkward for him.
Maybe I should do this with my dad… Hmm, I’ll have to think about that one. 😉
6. Give him a gift card
I love gift cards. I know some people feel like you’re just trading money back and forth when you exchange gift cards as presents. I used to believe that, but since our income has changed so drastically, I’ve gained a different perspective.
You see, for us, we’ll spend what we can in order to give people gifts, but we don’t have the money to spend on going out to eat at a nice restaurant. So the only way we can go is if we’re given a gift card.
So if someone gives us a gift card for Red Lobster, that’s amazing to us! It truly feels like a gift, not just an exchange of money because that’s something we would never buy for ourselves now.
So a gift card might be perfect for your dad if there’s a special place he likes to shop or eat, or an event he likes attending, but he wouldn’t spend the money on it for himself.
Or maybe he prefers shopping online, or perhaps what he’d really like to do is take his sweetheart out to eat. And a gift card will let him do just that.
With a gift card, he’ll be able to pick out exactly what he’d like. This is especially great for dads who are hard to buy for!
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7. Use your credit card reward points
I’ve already mentioned this idea, but it really deserves its own spot on the list! That’s because it’s so versatile. Of course, there are limits to what you can redeem with your rewards points depending on how many you have, but there are endless categories of items to choose from.
Some credit cards reward programs offer household items, clothes, jewelry, sporting equipment, electronics, appliances, and more.
There are even some that offer experiences—think mountain climbing, a hot air balloon ride, or even just tickets to see a movie.
You can use your points toward airfare, rental cars, hotel stays, or any number of other things that could help your dad out if he’s planning to take a vacation any time soon.
And of course, there are the gift cards! There are usually quite a few options. From restaurants to home improvement stores, the choices are nearly endless.
You could even redeem your rewards points for a Visa gift card, that way your dad could use it practically anywhere.
And don’t forget the strategy I mentioned earlier. If you can’t find something your dad would like with the options available, there’s a good chance you can use your points to get cash back on your balance. That way you can get him anything from anywhere by just charging it your card knowing you’ll have a credit on your account.
8. Play a game
If your dad likes games, get him a new one to try! Board games or card games go on sale quite often, so they’re an easy and affordable gift for Father’s Day.
Or maybe your dad likes chess or checkers. Why not treat him to a new set? My dad and I used to play checkers when I was growing up. It was so fun! He always took it very seriously though, so I had to fight hard in those matches. He never let me win, but I still managed to beat him a couple of times. 🙂
Another fun idea is a puzzle. My husband and I love to do puzzles together. It’s an easy, relaxing way to spend time together, and it gives us a chance to talk.
If your dad likes games or puzzles and spending family time together, this idea might be the perfect way to get everyone together and enjoy some fun family time this Father’s Day.
9. Participate in an outdoor activity
I’m not a sporty person, but I do like to be outside if it’s not too hot. Due to endometriosis, I don’t handle being hot well, so I have to limit my time outside. But if it’s a cool day, I love the outdoors.
My dad isn’t an outdoorsy person, but my father-in-law is. He enjoys playing basketball, golfing, hiking, and fishing, just to name a few.
In fact, he and his sons are planning their annual fishing tournament for Father’s Day this year. It’s become a tradition for them to do something fun and spend some time together.
If your dad loves the outdoors, planning a get-together to fish, hunt, do water sports, or play a round of golf is something he would probably love.
(By the way, does anyone else love tagging along in the golf cart even if you don’t play? Is that just me? The scenery is amazing!)
10. Go to a local sporting event
If your dad isn’t into playing sports but is a huge fan, grab him a couple of tickets to see a local game. Tickets don’t have to be right on the 50-yard line to have a great time.
My dad isn’t a huge sports fan, so it wouldn’t be the right fit for him, but many dads would love getting tickets to a game as a gift for Father’s Day.
Maybe your dad likes college basketball or local high school football, or maybe he likes car racing or monster truck rallies. Whatever it is, if he’s a sports fan, there’s bound to be an event he would really enjoy in your area.
If his favorite sport isn’t in season, set aside some money and give him a note to let him know when you’ll be getting him tickets!
11. Enjoy a fun outing together
Maybe your dad’s not into sports, but he’s into cars. That’s my dad to a T. He’s super knowledgable and loves taking care of his vehicles. He used to race cars when he was a kid, so he enjoys going to car shows once in a while.
Another idea is going to the zoo or aquarium. I love animals and the zoo is such a fun place to spend time with family. Treating your dad to a trip to the zoo or aquarium could be a wonderful opportunity to spend the day together.
FIERCELY FRUGAL: If you’re looking to keep it affordable, pack some sack lunches in a cooler for your day trip so you don’t have to spend more money on meals out!
If your dad is one of those fun-loving thrill-seeking dads, why not go for a visit to your local amusement park? Sometimes tickets can be expensive, so maybe your siblings would want to chip in as part of their Father’s Day gift too.
A visit to a museum or art gallery might be something your dad would appreciate if he’s a lover of the arts. Or maybe he would enjoy a Broadway-style show or a ballet.
My dad doesn’t like to go out much, but something he does like once in a while is attending the performing arts. Once every couple of years or so, he likes to take us to see The Nutcracker. It’s kind of becoming a family tradition, which is really neat.
Every dad is different, so there’s something out there for everyone. My husband and I make a point to go to the movies once a year, usually during the summer, to see something fun we both like. So if your dad’s a movie fan, maybe that’s a tradition you could start with him for Father’s Day.
12. Help fund a vacation
Vacations. Are. Amazing. I just recently learned this a couple of summers ago when my husband’s family decided to go to Colorado for their family vacation. We hadn’t ever been because it’s pretty expensive, but we decided to go.
And I loved it. But yes, it was pricey, and that’s not something we have in our budget anymore now that our income is only 40% of what it was at that time. So, all that to say, if your dad loves to travel, you can still give him a gift that he’ll love while keeping it affordable.
For example, if you have credit card reward points (have you noticed I love these bad boys?), those could be used toward airfare or hotel costs. And of course, if you have frequent flyer miles, those could become part of a gift as well.
If it’s a trip by car, giving some cash toward the cost of gas could be really helpful in making your dad’s trip happen.
Another idea would be to supply your dad with all his favorite travel snacks and drinks for the road, or a gift card for his favorite place to stop and eat while he’s traveling.
And if the rest of your family wants to go in together, you could cover a great deal of the expenses for his trip that way, or you’d be able to get him some tickets to different attractions he’d like to visit when he reaches his destination.
Vacations are awesome, even if it’s just a road trip for the weekend—or the day—so if your dad likes the idea, it could make a wonderful Father’s Day gift!
Easy and affordable for the win
Dads come in all shapes and sizes, and so does this list of easy and affordable Father’s Day gifts, so you’re bound to find at least one that your dad will love!
But the thing your dad probably wants most this Father’s Day? To spend time together.
So whether he’s outdoorsy, a lover of the arts, a sports fanatic, or just likes staying home for a meal together, he’ll love that you thought of him on his special day—and hey, it won’t end up breaking the bank!
Happy Father’s Day!
Free 5-Day Surefire Money Makeover Challenge
Struggling with finances and need ways to start cutting costs and seeing savings ASAP? I’ve got the solution! Start my free 5-Day Surefire Money Makeover Challenge here by filling out this form:
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