Moms have always received more attention for Mother’s Day then Dads do for Father’s Day. This should not be a shocker to anyone. However, there is good news this year about Father’s Day. The National Retail Federation has been conducting interviews every year since 2003 to see how much Americans plan to spend on Father’s Day. This year our kids, wives and anyone else who spend money on gifts for Father’s Day plan to spend $15.5 billion on us dads. Compare that to eight years ago when they were only spending $9.4 Billion, I would say that is a significant improvement.

Now that you are spending more money on us Dad’s, the next question becomes, “What does dad want for Father’s Day?” This does not have to be a tricky question. With a little thought, you can make it easy. Let me give you a few ideas to get you going in the right direction. Think about who your dad is, your budget, and did you wait for the last minute. Let’s get started…

• Who’s your DAD: What does your dad love? What are his hobbies? This is always a good place to start. If he likes music, consider a new pair of headphones. If he is into sports, tickets to an upcoming game or a jersey of his favorite player be right up his alley. The more personalized you make the gift, the better. Stay away from gifts cards. It is more about the thought then just hitting the easy button.
• What’s your Budget? See the note above about gift cards. Do not take the easy way out. Remember gifts that that show appreciation do not necessarily mean they have to be extravagant gifts. It really is the thought that counts. Be realistic and try to be creative. Especially if you have several men in your life to celebrate on this special day.
• How to make it Special: If you have the time, almost anything that can been engraved, monogrammed or have initials added make for a spectacular gift. Many places can even do this last minute or with very short turnaround times. Show Dad that you learned to be responsible from him and planned a head. Even if you got actually get it done last minute.
• When is Father’s Day? I get it. Life is busy and time gets away from you. It is easy to put off figuring out gifts until tomorrow. The next thing you know, Father’s Day is in two days. Luckily, there is a thing called on-line shopping that offers next day delivery. If you are running out of time, get on-line and start searching. You still have plenty of time.

The reality is we will probably always spend more money on Mom’s for Mother’s Day than Dads on Father’s Day. In 2017, Americans spent over $8 billion more on Mothers versus Fathers. We might never exceed moms on spending. But, the good news is, we are starting to catch up.