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It’s officially June and that means one thing: it’s the time of year to think about gift giving. Undoubtedly, you’ve probably been invited to countless graduation parties and Father’s Day celebrations this month. If you’re feeling the pressure to get the perfect gifts for these occasions but aren’t sure where to start, our list of the 7 best gift ideas for dads and grads will make shopping a breeze – and help you stick to a reasonable budget!
10 Gift Ideas for Dads and Grads That Won’t Bust Your Budget
Let’s face it: Dads probably don’t need another tie, World’s Greatest Dad coffee mug, or pair of socks (my Dad’s personal favorite gift, by the way). And grads can only fake gratitude for so many journals and car wash coupons before their true feelings show. These gift ideas for dads and grads are both thoughtful and sure to impress.
1. Tile
Does the dad or grad in your life constantly lose his or her keys, wallet, remote control, backpack, briefcase, and luggage? Tile is the simple solution to stop future searches for missing items.
How it works: Tile is essentially the world’s largest lost and found community. They have sold over 8 million Tiles and help locate over 2 million missing items every day. Simply connect your Tile to an item which is frequently lost. If it is lost again in the future, you can use your mobile phone to ping the lost object. Lost your cell phone? You can use any of your Tiles to locate your phone, even if it is in silent mode.
Tile comes in two sizes: Tile Mate and Tile Slim.
Tile Mate weighs only 6 grams, is just over one square inch in size, and is a perfect addition to key rings, luggage, bicycles, and more.
Tile Slim is thinner (about the thickness of two credit cards) and perfect for wallets, money clips, purses, passports, or briefcases.
Cost: Check out the current deals offered below for FinanceSuperhero readers. At these rates, you could potentially find gift ideas for dads and grads in your life all in one place!
2. Trendy Butler
If the men in your life like to maintain appearances, a one-month subscription to Trendy Butler could be just the gift idea for dads and grads.
How it works: Trendy Butler is like Stitch Fix, but for men. They send out a monthly box of clothing to subscribers valued at $150 for the reasonable cost of $65. Each user designs his own style profile, at which time a stylist selects clothing (both for day-to-day wear and special occasions) and sends them out to the subscriber. Shipping is free, items can be exchanged or returned without hassle, and clothing is selected only from top brands and designers.
You can learn more about Trendy Butler here. It just may be the trick needed to get dad out of his cargo shorts, tube socks, and sandals!
3. Gift Cards
Let’s face it – gift cards are not likely to rank highly among the most creative gift ideas for dads and grads, but they do offer the benefit of allowing them to purchase something they’ll love. Simply put: you could do far worse!
If you’re planning to purchase gift cards this month, I recommend checking out GiftCards.com. You can earn cash back on purchases that you were already going to make anyway. Need a card today? You can order an eGift card! And if you want to personalize your gift card, you can even add a photo and unique greeting to a Visa gift card.
The best part? Discounted gift cards may be available for the brands you’re looking for.
Can’t find the card you need? Also check out CardPool, where many gift cards can be found for up to 35% off.
4. The Gift of TV
Yes, the grad in your life is either heading off to pursue more education or get a job. But if they’re human, they’re probably going to want to watch their favorite shows here and there. You can help them dodge the high costs of cable when you grab them a subscription to Hulu Plus.
From current episodes and movies to classic shows, Hulu offers something for everyone. Their Limited Commercial plan is available for $7.99 per month, and their No Commercials plan is available for $11.99 per month. You can sign-up your grad for a FREE trial or gift them a subscription length of your choice here.
5. Alexa
I’ll be honest: I often wish I could call myself a dad at this point in life, and that feeling intensified when I saw the initial wave of Alexa commercials this year and imagined receiving one for Father’s Day.
For the uninitiated, Alexa is a service available on devices such as the Amazon Echo Dot, which is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, make calls, send and receive messages, provide information, read the news, set alarms, read audiobooks from Audible, and more.
Most commercials advertise expensive options such as the Amazon Echo for $179.99, but the Echo Dot 2nd generation is available on Amazon for only $49.99
6. Car Power Inverter
Laptop battery power has come a long way in the last few years, but I seem to encounter several instances each year in which I need to plug in a non-USB device to a power source while on the road. It happened over the holidays when we traveled to Detroit, and borrowing my an inverter from my father-in-law was a revelation.
Amazon currently sells a great model by DMK with two outlets for only $23.99. It includes two USB ports with built in SMART chips and is compact and light-weight. Based on utility, price, and uniqueness, I rate this as one of the best gift ideas for grads and dads for 2017.
7. Love Your Life, Not Theirs
Of all the items in this lift of best gift ideas for grads and dads, this may be the most impactful for the young graduates in your life. Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want is the latest New York Times best seller by Rachel Cruze, the daughter of finance expert Dave Ramsey.
This book is the perfect gift for young people who are looking to make sense of money and its impact in day-to-day life. The pressure to keep up with others and build an impressive life is very real for young people today, and as a millennial, Cruze understands this and breaks down the problem while offering solutions to remain true to yourself amidst the chaos.
Mrs. Picky Pincher says
June 2, 2017 at 7:55 AMAll fantastic ideas! Thanks for not listing ties on here. 😉 Father’s Day is tough because my dad is so hard to shop for. I know the goal of the holiday is to see your dad and show him that you love him, but I also want to give a gift that he’ll appreciate. Mr. Picky Pincher jokingly said we should get him a dart gun, but I think that would be badass lol.
Hero says
June 2, 2017 at 10:03 AMNow that’s a great idea! My father in law would get a huge kick out of that.