Cool Gifts For Dad

Father’s Day is fast approaching people.  And even though we’re all about saving money, if you don’t give your father a gift on Sunday, he’s going to cry… on the inside.

A lot of people wait until the last day to then rush to the store and buy dad a boring tie or a shirt that probably won’t fit him – oh wait, that’s me.  Don’t be me and try to surprise your dad this year with something nice.

Not all dads are created equal, so assess the situation and put some thought into your gift.  Pretend he’s your new boyfriend or new girlfriend and you want to impress him.  Make him saw “Aww, how thoughtful of you.”  Make him tear up a bit… who am I kidding?  Dads are made of stone.

There are a lot of cool gifts for dad out there.  Here are just some ideas for whatever type of Dad your old man – or husband – is.

The Gadget Dad

iGrill2– For those dads who love to grill, there’s the iGrill2 Bluetooth Smart Grilling Thermometer.  This little baby has four probes that can track four temperatures simultaneously.  It also comes with a magnetic mounting so you can attach it right on the grill.  Another great feature is that dad can monitor the food temperature from up to 150-feet away with the free companion iDevices app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod.  Your old man could drink his beer in peace without having to get up every few minutes to check on his steak.  We all know that little grunt he makes every time he gets up.

TRANSIT Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Small speaker with impressive sound.  You can’t have a grilling party without some music in the background.  This speaker connects to any Bluetooth enabled phone, tablet, and computer.  It also has a built in microphone for seamless hands-free calls.  The TRANSIT is a truly portable speaker, it only weights 1-lb.  That’s less than that T-bone steak you’ve been eyeing for a while.

It also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that lasts up to 8 hours of wireless playback time (varies by volume level).

The Outdoors Dad

Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent – Camping is one of the cheapest activities we can do together as a family.  If you want to spend quality time with your dad, camping is one of the best ways to do it.  The Coleman 8 Person Tent is big enough for the entire family and it has two rooms so you can have a little privacy.

The poles come pre-attached to the tent helping you set it up in 1-minute or less.  Nobody wants to waste time setting up the tents when there are s’mores to make.  Remember to let dad build the fire.  A man’s got a job to do. 

Tool Logic Credit Card Companion – We’re men; we like tools, we like knives, we like cool things.  Why? I don’t know.  And what’s cooler than a credit card size 9-piece tool kit?  The Tool Logic Credit Card Companion comes with a 2-inch serrated steel blade, a lens, a compass, tweezers, a bottle/can opener, and a toothpick – and you can use it as a coaster for your beer.

I mean, this is like the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time.  Whose father wouldn’t like this?  And did I mention it was the size of a credit card?  If i was a father and my kid didn’t get me this, I would be pretty upset… just saying.

The Sporty Dad

SKLZ Gold Flex Strength and Tempo Trainer – Many people believe that a set of golf clubs might be a great gift for dad, but what they don’t realize is that golf clubs should be bought based on different factors – ability level, height, type of club, etc.  A much better gift for the golfing dad is a warm-up and tempo trainer aid like the SKLZ Gold Flex.

The SKLZ Gold Flex is designed to improve his swing and strengthen his core muscles. You know we all need to work on our core.  So instead of new golf clubs, have dad work on his swing first.  He probably won’t win a Major Championship, but he I’m sure he’ll be happy beating Dave from accounting.

Wahoo Blue HR Heart Rate Monitor – We should encourage our dads to work on their hearts by doing more cardio.  The Wahoo Blue HR comes with a Burn and Burst training program, which helps with losing weight and getting faster.  Bluetooth connectivity and third party app compatibility – works with the most popular fitness apps like MapMyRun, Endomondo, and more.

This is a great gift for dads who love to ride their bikes, run, walk, or rollerblade – ice skate could work to I guess.  The Wahoo is also waterproof – up to 5ft – so it won’t die in the rain or with daddy’s sweat.

The Man-Cave Dad

Roku 3 Streaming Media Player – As you know I’m a proponent of cutting cable and getting a streaming media player.  Devices such as the Roku 3 lets dad watch his favorite movies and TV shows without the need of paying for cable or satellite.  With services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and more than 1000 extra channels, dad will have no problem finding something to watch.

The Roku 3 has the most apps and features, but other devices like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google Chromecast are also great options.  You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

As you can see, there are many great gifts for dad.  But you should only buy something if it’s in your budget.  Don’t get into debt just so you can buy your father a gift. You can explain to him that you can’t get him anything this year because you are trying to get out of debt.  I can guarantee that he’ll be more pleased to know that you are working on your financial future than him getting a silly gadget.

You can also get him a great book or find a picture of you and him together and frame it.  I’m sure he would like a framed picture of you two together.  Or you can give him the gift of time.  Most of us don’t spend enough time with our dads as it is – I know I don’t.  Just spending quality time with him might be enough.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful men in our lives.

What do you have planned for your father this year?