Ideas: Little Gifts for Dad

Hi all,

I've got time before my parents' birthdays in October.

I decided this year I'll get them lots of little things. Mom is sooooo easy to shop for, but Dad? Even my mom says he is ridiculously hard to shop for.

He's not a handy man and is picky with gadgets, doesn't want manly gifts from Bath and Body Works, doesn't need grooming supplies, already has a bunch of morale patches and shooting targets...and I know he definitely does not need yet another bottle of BBQ sauce. He truly is the guy who has everything and he never hints or says what he wants.

For my dad, I got a genuine leather luggage bag (he loves bags), and I was going to stuff it full of little gifts. So far, I have a gift card to go to the movie theaters, a grilling utensil set, and two movies I thought he'd like.

Does anyone have suggestions for gifts for my Dad? I'm stumped!!!

Honestly if you already got him leather bag, it’s a substantial gift. I’d not be adding anything. If you were well off it would be different but I think you are financially struggling (from my understanding) so buying gifts isn’t a priority. Your dad wouldn’t want you to spend too much. You already got few things in addition to a bag. Anything else is unreasonable.

I don't buy gifts for my parents at all. And you've already got him lots of gifts. I'm wondering why you want to buy more.

You may want to add something hand made,since you already bought some.I am not sure if you like crafts and such.You can make a book mark,( knit or crochet) .Even if you are a novice, there are many videos on YT that explain very well for beginners. In my opinion it will add a sentimental touch to your gift bag.I gifted a crocheted cross bookmark to a very religious person and it is in her bible she reads.

Nothing wrong with buying gifts especially if one has close relationship with parents but I think gifts have to reasonable. Cooking a meal for one’s parents is a good gift and buying them tickets for fancy international cruise is a good gift too. It has to be within reason. No parents want their kids to go overboard. I sure don’t

My parents got mad whenever I bought them anything, so I stopped.

I am sorry to hear that.

I understand dear Down and lonely. I also do not do gift giving with my folks .Specially mom.I picked my mom's favorite variety when I went Apple picking.All of them rotted in the fruit bowl,they didn't even touch them.I bought mom a big bottle of supplements. They never opened the bottle and they expired. Some of my well thought out gifts were given away to others.Once I knitted a very pretty sweater for my mom.Later I found holes all over it.The list of such events is never ending.I donot want to turn OP's happy thread into gloomy one .So I stop here.

How many presents I should buy my Dad is not the question. I didn't realize this question would be such a downer for some people. *facepalm*

Sorry it took that turn. But I'm not sure how we can help suggest gifts since we don't know your Dad.

Yeah I get that.

I tried doing Google searches for gifts for Dad who has everything and I did an Amazon search but didn't see anything I Iiked.

I have a hard time shopping for even people I do know. I just get Amazon gift cards usually, so they can get something they really want.

My parents and I are really big on presents. We usually buy each other presents throughout the year, and we're always "surprising" each other. So yes, I'd like to get a lot of little gifts cuz that's something we enjoy doing, and it's not about the money. It's just that my dad is SO hard to shop for. It's easy with my mom, but it's not so easy with my Dad.

Sorry it is my fault, it was me for whom it was a downer. It was because if you said you made something or bought something small I’d not wink.

But you are in school and you eat in a food bank and I was taken aback you bought a leather bag but that wasn’t enough and you needed to add more gifts. I thought of it as a parent. I’d be very upset if my daughter spent money on me if she didn’t have much as it is. I’d not want her to do that. Yes we are big on gifts too but not when any of us struggled. At that time lavishing others with purchased gifts doesn’t seem right unless gifts aren’t monetary like clean their houses or mow their lawn or cook a meal or write them a story or make something with your hands

Of course you can buy whatever you want though. I am bowing out

Lark, how about wandering through Dollar Tree with your dad in mind? I find some great gifts doing that.

How about gift cards? I'm thinking one for gas given the cost of gas right now.

How about "gift cards" for things you can do for him? Like wash his car, cook dinner, mow the lawn...

What kind of things does he do? What are his hobbies? Knowing that might help us make suggestions.

Gift cards for gas are quite popular now.

I got him a gift card to the movie theaters. I'm already arranged to clean for them, but maybe I could treat him to a nice father daughter lunch.

That's the thing. My dad doesn't have any hobbies. He is obsessed with bags (btw, the genuine leather luggage is a freebie from a giveaway)...so I got him the luggage bag. He likes movies and belongs to some movie forums, so there's a local used video store where I get Mom and Dad movies cheap and they're great quality.

He likes collecting flashlights and batteries, but he's got plenty of batteries and I just bought him a nice flashlight.

He likes washing his car, but he has everything he needs.

He is a grill master, but my sibling and I always get him spices and BBQ sauce, and this birthday I'm getting him a utensil set and on Father's Day I got him a BBQ oven mitt.

He likes puttering in his garage and exercising, but I don't know what he does in the garage and I don't know what exercise thing I could get him. I thought about getting him a foot peddler where you sit on the couch and peddle with your feet, but he just bought an exercise bike.

Oh, and he's a survivor/survivalist. He likes gadgets he can use in an emergency and things he can do around the house to prep for an emergency.

My dad is the one who takes the dog for a walk, and he carries a shoulder backpack with him that he keeps things he needs in. Maybe something he might need when taking the dog for a walk?

Oh, and a side note for myself, he bought walkie talkies and they turned out to be crap he can't use and threw them away, so I know he needs a set of good walkie talkies.

Ooooh, I like the idea of the father-daughter lunch!

How about a humorous apron he can wear when grilling?

It was your idea, LL, and I think it's a great one! I definitely want an excuse to have father-daughter time.

In fact, what other father-daughter activities can we do? My mom and I are always doing something girly together, but I rarely do anything with my dad...

I found a nice walkie talkie set of a reputable brand on Amazon for a good price...

What about telling him you would like to spend time with him and ask what he would like to do?