In honor of Sunday being Father's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of our frugal ideas for making this a special day without breaking the bank. Reader, Lucky, emailed me with many of the great links below to get things started out.
::Perhaps you could consider surprising that man in your life with Breakfast in Bed? Berry French Toast is a great recipe and it can be inexpensively made if you use day-old Italian bread and only one kind of berries. Lucky said she often makes it up the night before and then just pops it into the oven to bake. Breakfast pizza is another delicious option. Or there's always just some of your classic standbys.
::And what about making some homemade gifts? There's paper airplane cards or notepads. Or perhaps you could check your stockpile and see if you could come up with some items to put together a car-washing kit? Looking for more creative and inexpensive ideas? Janet at The Money Jar has an extensive list here.
Those are just a few ideas and links to get things started. I'm going to open up the floor and let you share you all celebrate a frugal Father's Day at your house. Either leave your ideas in the comments section or post your ideas on your blog and leave your link below. I'm anxious to hear what creative things you've come up with!
Found a fun and really neat idea where you take pictures of your children with the letters D-A-D and display in a frame! It makes for inexpensive wall art that you can do year after year…Click on my name above, or this link!
http://bloggingthesmiths.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-am-apparently-so-confident-in-my.html
Great ideas! Thanks for hosting!
~Liz
Found some cute printable cards for the kids to color. Their daddy really enjoys grilling so we found a cute iron on transfer that we can put on an apron. Also planning on having the kids paint some art to hang in his office
HI Crystal – Meredith from LIKE MERCHANT SHIPS read my post today and sent me over here.
You may like it – NO cost LOW cost ideas.
I loved the comment from the older retired dad – he agreed.
MEN WANT SIMPLE!
Sandy
We have all girls in our family, besides dad, of course! So, we all went to Picture People and got a portrait made of the three of us girls and we’re framing it for him. The 8×10 was free, and we already had the frame! This is especially special because one of our girls is only 2 months old, and it’s our first picture all together. 🙂
I created a post with a whole list of free/discounted Father’s Day stuff.
You can see the whole list here, which I update frequently as readers submit tips.
http://www.chachingqueen.com/2009/06/fathers-day-free-stuff-and-gifts-for.html
Feel free to use or post any of this.
BJs -Drop into BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse and get a free commemorative pint glass with any beverage purchase. This is available to all Dad’s that visit them on June 20th or June 21st thanks Free Stuff Finder. Click here to view offer and store locater.
Brunswick Zone- Dad bowls free when kid under 15 bowls 2 games. Click here for the coupon.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill – get a gift certificate for a free appetizer and get a chance to win a trip to Napa Valley when you enter their “Toast To Dad” contest. Offer ends 6/30/09. Click here for Carrabba’s locations near you.
ESPN Zone – Get free breakfast from 9:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at participating restaurants in CA, GA, MD, IL, CO, NV, NY and DC. Reservations are required. Click here for more ESPN Zones
Fazoli’s – Dad eat’s free on Father’s Day. Dads get a free entree and drink. For more, click here.
Great American Cookie Company- get a free cookie for dad with any purchase. Get the coupon here.
Hershey Park – FREE ADMISSION for dads. Go here for more.
McDonald’s- FREE breakfast on Father’s Day when you purchase an Extra Value breakfast. This offer may vary by location, so call ahead.
Museums and Zoos Admission – Call your local museums and zoos and see if they are offering any specials for Father’s Day.
National Park Admission – From June 20-21, 2009 more than 100 national parks will have free entrance. Go here for more info FREE National Park Admission list
Outback Steakhouse – If you pay full price for dinner, you’ll get $10 off Dad’s next meal. Go here to view offer.
The Pasta House Co. will give each DAD a FREE order of Spaghetti with meat sauce and a FREE piece of Cheesecake on Sunday, June 21st. Go here fore more and to find a restaurant near you.
Putting Edge – Dads play free at participating locations. Go here for more Putting Edge
Smokey Bones- Dads eat free. Get your couponn at Smokey Bones of if you are part of the Bones club they may mail you one.
Spaghetti Warehouse- June 20 and June 21, Dad eats for free with purchase of an entree and beverage at Spaghetti Warehouse. Find the nearest Spaghetti Warehouse here. They are located in FL, GA, IL, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN and TX.
TCBY- free cone or cup to dads on Father’s Day, June 21st. Click here to find a TCBY near you.
Texas de Brazil – Dads get to eat free with the purchase of another meal. Go here for the Texas de Brazil coupon
T.G.I. Friday’s- buy one, get one free entree coupon that anyone can use until June 22
BOGO TGIF Coupon
Village Inn–Free slice of pie with adult entree. Coupon expires 7/17/09. Click here to print coupon
I was excited to see the magazine HOMELIFE, a christian magazine mention your blogspot on saving money. You really do help so many families save money. Thanks for putting the extra time into it and sharing on the web so we can spend extra time with our families. you are a blessing
I photographed my son inthree different pictures holding a D,A and D made out of poster board. It looks so cute in a there hold picture frame.
I have arranged for us to go to a ‘paint your own pottery’ place so the kids can make their own special creations (I am thinking mugs for him to take to work since he is a big coffee drinker, but will let the kids pick their own pieces to paint).
My first thought was to take the kids earlier this week and give him the finished products, but I think the experience and time together is a gift in itself!
AND, after a visit to their website, I discovered that Sundays are free studio days at the one closest to our house. Add to that a $5 off coupon I found on their website, and it should make for a fairly inexpensive but fun way for us to spend the day together!
I received a $10 off a $10 purchase at JC Penney last week, so I decided to find a $10 gift for my husband for Father’s day. As it turned out, his favorite shirts were on sale for $9.99. Free Father’s Day gift this year!
My father wanted an instant read thermometer for campfire cooking. I got him one for $10, but then I am putting it in a bag with several McCormick grill mates seasoning jars and marinade mixes that I got for FREE last week with sale and coupons at Tops. I think it’ll make for a fun gift that he will have fun with when cooking all summer.
Here’s a fun Mystery Message card video tutorial that would be great to make for dad!!
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/fun-fathers-day-idea-how-to-make-a-mystery-message-card
Our computer has a program that makes DVD’s and so for my husband’s first Father’s Day I took every picture we had of my husband and daughter and added Stephen Curtis Chapman’s song “Cinderella” to it and made a beautiful DVD for him – it turned our REALLY good and I get teary-eyed every time I watch it! The DVD maker program had options where I could set it to use all the pictures with really neat transitions between each one, and it changed pictures at a pace that lasted the entire length of the song. I’m hoping to do this each year for Father’s Day with the year’s pictures of my hubby with our kid(s.)
We’ll be making a hand print paperweight for my husband. Homemade gifts are my favorite kind!
http://www.practicingthrift.com/2009/06/fathers-day-gift-for-kids-to-make.html
This is an easy, inexpensive gift for kids of any age to make.
Hey Crystal!
How are you?
Are you still blogging on your other blogs…I noticed one is totally gone and the other hasn’t been updated in awhile…you are missed! Hope you and your sweet family are all alive and well! =)
Heather in PA
My dh asked to go fishing with us for Father’s Day (I asked for the same thing on Mother’s Day;) We love to fish so I will pack a picnic lunch and off we will go to fish the day away!
the link for the paper airplane cards was actually the link for the notepads. I’m interested to see what it is
Celebrate Dad for memorializing him at dinner…literally… with a Papa Pizza. This will be something fun that the whole family can enjoy doing together for dinner.
http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com/2009/06/celebrating-dad-this-fathers-day-with.html
Need ideas for that special, yet meaningful dessert.
This one is quick (store bought cupcakes if you desire) but will make memories for years to come.
http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day-tradition-fathers-day-cake.html
Personalize your own Father’s Day Coupon book…for free.
Adorable graphics to make your own:
http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day-tradition-ideas-coupon-book.html
The links in my first comment don’t appear to be working so here they are again.
Pancakes ~ http://www.ehow.com/how_4773302_oatmeal-cinnamon-pancake-mix.html
Wordle word cloud ~ http://www.ehow.com/how_4762889_word-cloud-using-wordle.html
Spice Rub ~ http://www.ehow.com/how_5094388_make-spice-rub-grilling-meat.html
Although this Father’s Day won’t be as frugal as I would like (It’s also our 6 year anniversary), I am going to have my 17month old son scribble on construction paper and use that to make a card with his “message” to dad in it.
The Red Cross is also hosting a Father’s Day blood drive and we will be donating blood in honor of our fathers on Sunday as well.
We’re making these pancakes for my husband on Sunday. They are even more delicious with a mashed banana added to the batter. We also designed a word cloud for him using Wordle.
We’re also giving my dad a gift bag filled with a sample of his favorite coffee, mixed nuts (his favorite), and this spice rub for grilling.
Our frugal photo gift for our Papa.
http://mommyscored.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day.html
I managed to get something hubby wanted for free…love it! Hope you and the family are doing well 🙂
Our church is having a free childcare night on Friday night! I am using the night to take my husband out to dinner at BJ’s with a coupon! Not only is it thrifty but we get to eat whatever we want, not have to share, have a peaceful meal and not have to cut food up into little pieces! I can’t wait. I posted my ideas and other restaurant coupons at http://www.saveathomemommy.com/2009/06/fathers-day-deals-and-restaurant.html.
I just posted about this last weekend! My readers really loved the ideas I put up…especially the gifts from the “furbabies” in your house. They’re your kids, too! Here is the link:
http://4hatsandfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/06/get-going-frugally-for-dad.html
Check out Free Events in your area in honor of Fathers Day and go as a family doing something Dad likes but everyone can enjoy. And what better gift is it than everyone getting along!
For us in Pensacola FL and lower AL, they are having the Hot Air Balloon Fest. Some Bass Pro Shops are also having special events that Sunday in honor of Father’s Day. Then on Monday, there is an awesome fishing seminar with a free buffet.
This year for Father’s day I am giving my husband, who is a soon to be father in August a coupon book. I made up 20 or so coupons in Word and will print them out. W/ a little construction paper and creativity it should be very cute. Many of the things are free or pretty cheap (such as a night out w/ the guys, his favorite dessert, or a night to game w/o me bugging him). I have also made it so he can spread it out over six months…making it more manageable for our budget. By being creative everyone can find several things that their husband really truely needs (like maybe a back rub or a day to just watch sports) that doesn’t cost a dime. I also repeat coupons taht I feel are more important for him to have.
I posted today about 13 Frugal Father’s Day Gifts including several which I have done in the past for dh. 😀
http://lampuntomyfeetandalightuntomypath.blogspot.com/2009/06/13-frugal-fathers-day-gifts.html
We spent no money making a reusable gift bag from the Sunday comics. View the instructions and a photo of the gift bag at this link: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1832031/how_to_make_a_reusable_gift_bag_for.html
I am trying to become more creative! You can check out my idea here http://couponkatie.com/frugal-fathers-day-gift-ideas/