We recently treated our deserving mothers to chocolate, flowers, poetic cards, & lunch at their favorite restaurant, so you know what that means: Father’s Day is coming! It is considerably more difficult to buy for our dads. Father’s Day gifts tend to cause more headaches than the goodies we select for our moms because in general, men are hard to buy for! In most cases, dads are not as open about what they have always dreamed about having, especially retired dads! It is important to treat the men in our lives that have worked hard over the years to provide for us. It is their turn to be treated! With these five ideas for Father’s Day gifts for the Retired Dad, it is my goal to get your wheels turning on how you can make his day a special one!
1. Golf Merchandise or Gift Card
FINALLY! Good ole Dad has time to enjoy the outdoors while experiencing his favorite pastime that he had to give up too many times during the working years. A perfect Father’s Day gift for the Retired Dad may be golf merchandise. A Father’s Day gift that works for all budgets could range from golf apparel all the way to custom clubs! Prices can be anywhere from $15 for a new pair of gloves to over $1300 for a set of clubs! Visit your local golf shop or purchase online at The Golf Warehouse (www.tgw.com).
Instead of giving Dad golf merchandise, why not give him the gift of playing golf! Golf course gift certificates are a great idea for the retired father who doesn’t need any more golf equipment or apparel, but has been eager to play a new course. Golfguys.net has the perfect solution with their gift cards. With this card, the golfer can choose between any of the 13,000 courses in the U.S. ensuring that you do not buy a gift certificate for a course that your retired dad does not enjoy. It is also a good idea to do a golf-themed gift that pairs a low cost item (such as a shirt or tees) with a gift card in a basket.
Another great Father’s Day gift idea for the retired dad is a personal computer with an internet subscription. If you think your dad would enjoy staying connected with friends and family via the internet, this is a great gift for him! A brand new desktop computer can be purchased for under $500 at places like Walmart, www.emachines.com, and Best Buy. If you do not know exactly which choices to make for your father’s computer, Best Buy is a great place to go and ask for help and ideas.
3. Memories
Parents always enjoy gifts that require some digging and creativity. How about getting one of your dad’s old photos restored? Photorepair.com has a great restoration process for under $40 or you can visit your local drugstore. Ranging from $50 to a couple hundred, www.mydavinci.com not only does photo restoration, but they will turn your dad’s photos into large, beautiful pencil sketches, oil paintings, Warhol paintings, caricature, etc.
Want to get the grandchildren involved? A scrapbook or collage is also a great Father’s Day gift for the retired dad. Use new and old photos of the whole family, paste quotes from his favorite authors and movies, and even add your own funny captions. For a small cost, you can capture your family memories and give them as the perfect Father’s Day gift!
4. Travel
If you know that your retired dad loves travel, a trip may be the perfect Father’s Day gift for him! You could give your father a trip to the land of his ancestors or to a place he has always wanted to go. It might be a great opportunity to have a family reunion and to all go somewhere together, or maybe you want to send your retired parents on a romantic getaway. A trip is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, so it may be a good idea to go in with a few siblings in order to cut the cost. Vacationstogo.com has listings for cruises with a special rate for people over the age of 55. Excluding airfare, it is possible to pay as low as $500 per person for a 7 day and 6 night cruise depending on your choice of destination.
5. Gift Basket
Lastly, a great Father’s Day gift for the retired dad is a personalized gift basket. This is a gift for the creative son or daughter who knows his/her father well and does not have the means to spend a lot of money for the holiday. This gift could range from $20. A gift basket can be as elaborate and full as you like. They may or may not be themed. For example, if your dad is a John Wayne fan, perhaps get a western looking tin or basket to hold a few of his DVDs, popcorn, Dad’s favorite candy, etc. Other good ideas may include: a picture frame with a snapshot of your dad and your child, a book of crosswords, a book by a favorite author, music that you know he would enjoy, a gift certificate to his favorite local spot, and it should always include a card with a personal note from you.
Remember that the most important thing in buying for your Retired Dad is that he knows you are giving the gift out of love and not duty. So, put some thought into what you decide to give and don’t worry because he’ll love it! Also, spend time with your retired dad whenever you are able! Happy shopping!
