How much will you spend on a Father's Day gift this year?
By Jason Buckland, Sympatico / MSN Finance
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
Hear that? That’s the sound of your painful lack of Father’s Day gift ideas growing more and more apparent as the date inches near.
But if you’re less concerned with picking out a present than actually paying for it this year, don’t sweat it. You’re not alone.
According to the LA Times, this holiday sure won’t be easy on dad. Two recent polls indicate that gift spending for pops next Sunday will be at a depressing low, a sure-fire sign Father’s Day 2009 has officially become sponsored by Bernie Madoff and the good people responsible for the black BANKRUPT triangles on Wheel of Fortune.
Even though Mother’s Day ’09 couldn’t exactly be compared to a Boxing Day bonanza, this survey from Pricegrabber.com shows 34% of shoppers plan to spend less for Father’s Day this year, a much higher number than those who similarly scaled back cash for Mother’s Day gifts in May.
And, sure, we don’t need a recession to tell us it’s the thought that really counts behind a Father’s Day gift. I am curious, though, to see how some dads would react to the notion that some 7% of shoppers don’t plan on spending anything – anything! – for a gift this year.
Really, guys? Nothing? Maybe our friends in that 7% should sneak a peek at this list of recession-proof Father’s Day gifts, a collection of pretty thoughtful ideas you could consider offering the man who raised you for under $20.
If you’re like me, you’re wondering what the hell you get for a father who – by the nature of their breed – already has anything he could ever want. I fear if my siblings and I present my dad with another laser level the cops will have to be called to shut down the impromptu LASIK eye clinic he'll have set up in the garage or something.
Regardless of what we eventually choose, maybe everyone might be best to consider some sentimental advice:
“Whether you’re buying him a cordless drill, fishing rod or just a burger at the ballgame, let him know the recession hasn’t changed how you feel about him,” gushes Martha C. White on Walletpop.com. “It might not be a bad idea to put something heartfelt in the card … about how he did such a great job teaching you the value of a dollar.”
Yeah … that could work. I’d probably just go with a hammer, though. Hammer seems like a safer bet.
Posted by: karra | Jun 12, 2021 4:56:34 PM
We never give presents for Mother's Day or Father's Day. We just cook a nice meal for each other, or go out for a hike. Often, there's something else going on - this Mother's Day I was finishing a First Aid course and doing the final exam, and had to get up very early to do so. Sometimes my husband is away for work. Big deal, if you're appreciated on a year-round basis. Just another commercial exploitation day. We choose the days we want to celebrate, not have them dictated to us.
Posted by: karra | Jun 12, 2021 5:14:03 PM
oops, I just realised I did that on a husband-wife basis. In any case, all I ever did as an adult for my parents was give them a phone call and maybe send a card (preferably not one with a pre-printed Hallmark style message, but my own handwritten one) and some photos. As a kid, I helped around the house and gave them breakfast in bed. And all I expect from my kids is a phone call if they're away, and help around the house a bit if they're home. Sure they made nice things in elementary school, but again no money was spent on gifts. Again, I don't like the commercialisation
of every so-called special day. Just being a loving family is enough.
Posted by: John Steed | Jun 13, 2021 7:07:33 PM
I am a father. Why do we need to spend money and BUY anything? I am tired of this expectation that every occasion, we are supposed to BUY something. The best gift I can ever receive is knowing that my children are healthy, happy, and are ready to pursue their own lives with great success. This makes every day special for me.
Posted by: roger | Jun 14, 2021 7:07:09 AM
When it comes to mother's day ,father's day ,birthdays and christmas a lot of money could be spend every year if you have a big family! So as a Father and Grandfather,what I like is a family gathering for a BBQ on father day as well as mother day,no gifts,just family and friends..it is the geatest gift they can give me on father's day,no gift can say they love more,than the family being there for father's day....all you father's out there have a good one!
Posted by: daytimedolphin | Jun 14, 2021 8:44:06 PM
First off has anybody thought of the people that don't have kids. No they haven't, so why is it necessary to even ask. For the people that have their parent thank your lucky star that you have them.
Posted by: KL | Jun 15, 2021 7:24:26 AM
I don't have either of my parents any longer, and I never had children. Mother's Day and Father's Day are therefore somewhat difficult for me. However I still have my father-in-law and mother-in-law, and while we don't do the gift exchange, we do the family gathering thing. Besides, what do you buy an 80 year old man???
Two years ago at Christmas we did buy Dad a cell phone, and the bill comes to us every month so he doesn't have an added expense. He still drives and does part-time delivery work for a pharmacy so a cell phone was something we felt he should have.
The problem is at the ages my in-laws are now it's practically impossible to buy them anything they don't already have. For us, just having them at all is a blessing.
Posted by: Cindi | Jun 15, 2021 10:09:48 AM
Bravo John Steed. Both my husband's and my parents are thankfully still with us. They started the no gift rule, which we happily passed on to our children - now young adults.The commercialization of the "Hallmark" celebrations hold no interest for me. Mother/Fathers day, Valentines day....if you need a trinket to have your love validated, then how do you manage the other 364 days of the year?
Posted by: Smart | Jun 15, 2021 5:14:17 PM
Wow...I thought I was the only one tired of the commercialization of everything. Why do I have to buy gift for my loved ones on particular days of the year? Why not when it is affordable and it could be done with so much ease without breaking my back?
The only fixed day I buy gift for my loved ones is their birthday. Apart from that, all other times are freestyle. It takes so much burden out of gifts for loved ones