Father’s Day Gifts for the No Frills Frugal Dad

I have spent 17 Father’s Days trying in vain to find the perfect gifts for my husband, aka Father’s Day Gifts for the No Frills Frugal Dad, and each year I come up short. Why you ask? Because I finally realized that I am married to the incarnation of Mike Heck aka the husband on the show “The Middle” in many ways. This fact finally dawned on me after I watched an episode during which it is the character Mike’s birthday and his favorite present was from his son Axel who got him- wait for it- nothing! His son didn’t spend any money and Mike was thrilled. Seeing this episode felt eerily familiar as each year when I rack my brain trying to come up with a great gift for my husband I can’t ever think of a gift that would top his ultimate Father’s Day wish which would be to pretend it is just another ordinary day with minimal pomp and circumstance and minimal money spent.

The bottom line is my husband is Mike Heck–he doesn’t want anything, he wears the same comfortable, basic clothes, he happily carries the same wallet he’s had for the past 10 years and in a nutshell he is basically impossible to shop for! So when it comes to Father’s Day I know the only gift I can truly give him is one that is either FREE or one that costs very little. So if you too find yourself with a frugal father here are a few of my Father’s Day Gift ideas for the No Frills Frugal Dad!Father’s Day Gift ideas for the No Frills Frugal Dad!

For the FRUGAL DAD who likes to Exercise: The first choice for this type of dad would be to get out and exercise together as a family. He could get his daily run in (or bike ride) and simultaneously spend time with the his kids enjoying the great and free outdoors biking, running or walking.

For the FRUGAL DAD who does his own yard work: The second idea I had is for the kids and I to get out in our yard and do the yard work he usually does like mow the lawn, trim the hedges and even attempt the edging that always gets ignored. The good news is that chances are your frugal dad will pitch in and help but ultimately this is an activity you can all do as a family together and it will not cost a dime.

For the FRUGAL DAD who likes to Cook: My next idea for the ideal no frills Father’s Day gift is to whip up a meal for the dad in your life! You could make a nice brunch complete with a pan of scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, veggie bacon  and whole wheat toast! Of course he will love this gift because the only tip it requires on his behalf  is a Free hug!

For the FRUGAL DAD who likes Sports: Another way to celebrate Father’s day with a frugal dad is to attend a kid’s sporting event together. Of course the ideal events would be to attend either your son’s little league game or your daughter‘s track meet. If you don’t have any kids’ games to attend- you can strike up your own and either have your frugal dad throw out the first pitch, or organize your own one on one hoops game!

Finally FOR the FRUGAL DAD who loves COUPONS and Sales: The last but not least idea that a dad like Mike aka Robert my husband (or any frugal dad) would enjoy would be to receive a present that is bought on sale. So where can one find the best deals?  Just in time for Father’s Day, check out this free downloadable coupon book that children can easily create with a bit of help from an adult. Designed with Dad’s unique perspective in mind, the coupons feature activities for children to complete, such as I will brush my teeth without faking it, Dad can tell and I will load the dishwasher  or wash them by hand like the Pilgrims.

Happy Father’s day and good luck with your frugal dad!

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