4 Free Ways To Celebrate Dad on Father’s Day

Father’s Day is this weekend. And I’ve been seeing lots of gift guides and ideas of what to buy dads for this special day.  I love to give gifts, but for many, spending large sums of money on presents isn’t really possible.  So I compiled a list of 4 Free Ways You Can Celebrate Dad on Father’s Day without breaking the bank!

1. Cook Dad’s favorite meal.

I don’t know about yours, but my dad loves a good meal! And to be able to enjoy good food with the people he loves most — well that just creates the perfect stage for an amazing Father’s Day. If your dad is anything like mine, consider cooking his favorite meal and taking it to his house to enjoy. An extra bonus would be if you could assemble all of your siblings at the same time and celebrate together! If you are on a budget (like we are), you can easily purchase the ingredients needed alongside your regular groceries. It is that simple to make something tasty and heart-warming for your father. A big pot of spaghetti plus a happy family = one blessed dad, with virtually no extra money spent. I’d say that makes for a winning day!

2. Frame a Prized Photo as as meaningful gift.

Ok, you busted me!  This one technically costs a little money, ringing up at a whopping $3 which is a frugal win! Giving and receiving framed photos as gifts is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the people I love.  And I’ve found that others love them too.  Since the rise of the digital age, printed photos are almost nonexistent for lots of people. So, that makes them a rare, and extra appreciated gesture.  Anytime I give my parents and in-laws framed pictures of our kids, they always love them and immediately display them in their homes.  

Most dads are no different!  Do you have a cherished photo of you and your dad?  Or does he have a favorite picture of you and your siblings as children? If so, consider getting an 8×10 copy of it printed at a local drugstore. Walgreens has same day pickup and 50% off prints and enlargements through June 15 using the code PRINTHIM at checkout. You can get a large print for about $2!  The dollar tree also has a wide variety of picture frames — also $1 — and greeting cards for $.50.  Combine these and you have a meaningful memory that your dad can enjoy every day, for 3 bucks!

If you don’t have any recent photos of you with your dad, fix that! I’m especially speaking to all my friends (and myself: i.e. see pictures in this post) who are still using 9 year old wedding photos, ha!  Maybe this weekend your family could take some!  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy — you can get a pretty high quality picture with a smartphone and a photo filter these days.  Try it — I bet your dad will cherish the memories made forever.

3. Speak Dad’s love language.

What’s your dad’s love language?  Author Gary Chapman describes the 5 common love languages here, if you aren’t familiar with them. 

So often for holidays, we try to celebrate people in the way we like to be celebrated instead of a way that actually speaks to them.  For example, I LOVE to give gifts, and so does my dad — but neither of us especially feels it necessary to receive them from others. My dad’s love tank is most filled when he gets to spend quality time with our family. This is especially true now that all of his 5 children are grown and living on our own.  He loves nothing more than us all gathering together at one of our homes, watching a movie, and playing cards. Just like we used to do when we were kids.

What fills your dad’s tank? Whatever it is, consider how you can incorporate doing that this Father’s Day and let that be your gift to him!  If his love language is gift giving, think of something homemade you can make that will speak to his interests. If it’s Acts of Service, how could you serve and show him love this weekend?

Speaking to your dad’s love language this Father’s Day is a great way to shower him with love.  And it doesn’t have to cost you a dime to do it!

4. Prioritize Being “Present” over Presents!

At the end of the day, there is nothing that most dads want more than time with their kids on Father’s Day.  In fact, dads can be a lot like children:  you can shower them with all of the material things in the world. But if you don’t spend any quality time with them, then none of that other stuff matters.  And I get it, some of you don’t live close enough to your dad to physically be there this weekend.  But you can call him, FaceTime him , write him a heartfelt letter — something special to express your love in a tangible way.  We can definitely be “present” without physically being “present” to those we love.  Love is a verb, so just DO something!

Being present can mean so much more than giving gifts, especially if you don’t get to spend time with your dad often. This Father’s Day, try being intentional about doing just that. Show up for your dad however you can, take time out of your day, and show him just how much you love him.

Say it with me: You can give your dad an amazing Father’s Day without spending money!

I hope that these 4 Free Ways you can celebrate Dad this Father’s Day help you think outside the box this weekend. I’m sure that doing any of them for your dad will give him a Father’s Day he will never forget!

How do you plan to spend Father’s Day weekend?  Let me know in the comments below!