Getting Dad the perfect Father’s Day gift can be tough. Between the cliche gifts (such as neckties) and the gag gifts (such as nose hair trimmers), it’s easy to turn the holiday into a joke. Fortunately, there are many affordable ways to express your appreciation without getting too cheesy. Here’s a quick list of thoughtful, affordable gift ideas to help you get started.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
1. Get him to share a true story. StoryCorps records, collects and shares stories told by people from all walks of life for free. Recordings feature an interviewer (you) and a storyteller (your dad) and last about 40 minutes. The organization offers lots of resources to help you get your conversation started. There’s even a smartphone app. You may be surprised about what you learn about your dad during your chat.
2. Put together a mixtape of his favorite songs. Figure out how and where your dad listens to music and collect some of his favorites into one place. Having trouble coming up with Dad’s songs? Ask Mom or his friends. Better yet, think back to those songs Dad always played when you were young. Once you have them, you can create a playlist using Spotify or iTunes. If vinyl is still his thing, a service such as Vinylify will take your digital files and press them to an actual vinyl record. With a little tinkering, you can even record your digital playlist to a real cassette tape and give Dad an actual, bona fide old-time mixtape.
3. Scan old photos featuring him and collect them into an album. Scan, upload and share your favorite photos of Dad with an online photobook service. When the book comes back, decorate the pages with notes and illustrations of your own.
4. Go on a pub crawl together. Dads and beer go together like brats and baseball. Introduce your dad to your favorite local microbreweries — or let him introduce you to his. Use your Uber or Lyft app to make the afternoon a safe one. You can do this with wineries or distilleries in your area, too. If beer, wine and spirits aren’t Dad’s thing, visit several of his favorite local eateries, stopping for a bite at each.
5. Create a home-cooked meal with stuff he loves to eat. After your microbrewery visit (or instead of the eatery tour), try whipping up several of your dad’s favorite dishes. If cooking isn’t your thing, aim to simply make his favorite snack.
6. Help your dad declutter. This may not seem like the most enjoyable way to spend the day, but it might be the most helpful. Clear out a den or the kitchen or even the garage. As you’re sorting through Dad’s things, you may come across one or more great memories, too.
[See: Spring Cleaning: What Items Are Ideal for Donating, Selling and Tossing?]
7. Embrace the cheesy Dad gift. Get him one of those “World’s Greatest Dad” mugs and fill it with reasons why he really is. You might write them down as a list on a sheet of nice paper or stuff the mug with lots of little slips of paper, one reason written on each. If you’re not the sentimental type, keep it light with some funny memories or with a collection of your favorite dad jokes.
[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]
8. Binge watch Dad’s favorite movies or shows. It might be Clint Eastwood movies or maybe it’s “Star Wars” or “The Rockford Files.” Spend the afternoon on the couch in front of the television set watching your dad’s favorite shows. The snacks you made for gift No. 5 will go well here, too.
9. Show your old dad some new internet tricks. Even if your dad is internet savvy, there’s always more to see and learn. Does he like humor? Introduce him to the jokes subreddit on the website reddit.com. Does he like old-time radio mysteries? There are lots of podcasts for him to download that he may not know about. Does he like to chat? Maybe it is time to finally teach him how to use Skype or Slack if he doesn’t know how to already.
10. Revive an old pastime. Did you used to go fishing together? Or maybe you used to love playing chess together. Revive the old tradition and start it up again.
11. Call him up and listen to what he has to say. This isn’t just limited to Father’s Day of course. Just call him more often, tell him how you’re doing and ask for his advice. Dads love giving advice.
More from U.S. News
12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families
7 Habits You Can Learn From Highly Successful Savers
11 Thoughtful Father’s Day Gifts That Show You Care originally appeared on usnews.com
