Buying a gift for someone can be difficult when you’re on a budget. Buying a gift for a man under $20 can seem virtually impossible.
However, below I compiled a list of ten simple gift ideas under $20 that you can use when buying a present for this year’s Father’s Day.
1. Batteries
One might think of this as a boring gift, but let’s face it. Any man probably uses batteries as often as any woman uses her hair dryer.
Remote controls, kitchen appliances, drills and tools, radios, cameras and a majority of electronics require batteries.
While it isn’t the most creative gift, one can rest assured that their dad will get a lot of use out of it.
You can buy batteries at any retail or pharmacy store, such as Walmart, CVS or Rite Aid. The average cost of an 8-pack is about $6, but prices usually range from $3 to $10.
2. Alcohol of Choice
Whether your father drinks wine, beer or hard liquor, it’s not difficult to find his beverage of choice at any liquor store for under $20.
If he likes everything, you can get creative by searching liquor stores and even online liquor outlets for custom-made orders and different size portions. For example, instead of getting him his normal bottle of wine, you could get him two mini servings of it, a shot glass and a pint of his favorite liquor.
If you want to stick to a case of beer, simply tie a bow around it and you’ve got your gift!
3. Gift Card
Does your father like to build stuff around the house? Does he get coffee from the same place every morning? Does he need new clothes or accessories?
Although getting a gift card isn’t very original, any man appreciates having a choice in what he wants to buy for himself. Rather than cash, which tends to be spent carelessly, gift cards are usually an incentive for people to go out to a specific store and use it wisely.
Gift cards for stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Starbucks, Macy’s, Sam Goodies and more, can all be purchased from the store’s direct location, while stores like CVS and Wawa often sell gift cards from other retailers.
Usually you can purchase a gift card as low as $10 to as high as $500, depending on the store.
4. Coffee/Beer Mug
This is a very simple gift that one can get creative with.
Whether your dad is into a specific band, sports team, nationality, celebrity or brand, you can pretty much find any of these logos on a coffee or beer mug.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for at specific retail store, try searching online websites like amazon.com or ebay.com. You can even find websites that will custom-made print or engrave something on a mug or cup of your choice.
Some stores and websites will try and overprice their product, so be sure to look around for something reasonable before making a purchase.
I stumbled upon a website (whose name I wish I now remembered,) that charged only 19.99 for a custom-made, name engraved, glass beer mug, and shipping was free. You can surely find a good price if you do some research.
5. Book/DVD/CD
Surely your father, husband or grandfather has some sort of enjoyment or means of entertainment, whether it’s found in books, movies or music.
Figure out what your father is into and then simply look around for titles he might enjoy.
For example, if he’s into a specific band, maybe get him a music DVD. If he’s into a specific sport, get him an anthology or book on his favorite team.
You can find anything you are looking for online these days. Simply visit amazon.com or borders.com and type in a subject of interest, such as “jam bands” or “baseball,” and surely tons of media results will pop up for you to choose from.
6. Handkerchiefs/ Socks/ Ties
Whether you choose one item individually or a combination of all three, you can’t go wrong getting a man these gifts for Father’s Day.
Handkerchiefs are great gifts for fathers or grandfathers. Multi-packs can be bought cheap for less than $10 at any retail store, while silk or specially-made handkerchiefs can be bought for husbands for less than $15.
Socks can obviously be found at any retail store and even pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens. An 8-pack of men’s socks at Walmart costs only $5.
Ties are again, something that can be purchased at a retail or department store. You can also get creative with this item, maybe getting one plain tie for basic use, a silk tie for special occasions and a flamboyant tie for laughs.
Surely everyone has seen the ties with the little footballs or baseballs on them.
7. Body Wash
Although men claim not to want bath and body items, many men secretly like to pamper themselves.
If your man isn’t into cologne, try getting him a scented body wash.
Name brand items, such as Obsession by Calvin Klein, Instinct by David Beckham or Latitude Longitude by Nautica Fragrances, can be bought at extremely cheap discount prices from online merchants.
For example, David Beckham brand body wash can be purchased on bizrate.com for $16.50, where the retail price can be as high as $80.
8. Cooler (small to medium size)
While it’s difficult to find a large cooler for under $20, small or medium-sized coolers can be found for as cheap as $10 to $15 at any local retailer.
Coolers are great gifts for fathers, whether your dad enjoys fishing, camping or barbequing.
Even if your dad isn’t the outdoors type, having even a mini cooler can be convenient for keeping beers cold while watching the big game, not to mention saving refrigerator space.
A mini cooler can also serve as a lunch box for your father, especially if he works outdoors.
I know many men who even use their coolers for storage space, when not using them for drinks.
9. T-Shirt
Is your dad or husband into a certain sport? Check out sport outlets like Modell’s and Dicks or even Kmart and Walmart to find quality t-shirts with your father’s favorite sports team logo.
Surely any father or husband apprechiates when their wife or child recognizes what they love.
T-Shirts, sweatshirts and even sweatpants can be found as cheap as $10.
10. Night off/ Dinner/ Massage
This is something that a wife can do for her husband, absolutely free.
If you have kids, get a babysitter for the night. Set up a romantic dinner of your husband’s favorite meal, and be sure to get a big bottle of whatever is his poison of choice. End the night with a sensual massage and a movie.
If you’re a young adult looking to get your father something but have no money, offer to baby-sit your younger brothers and sisters, or simply go out of your way to help your father with something.
