The best cheap Father's Day gifts

by Sue Hayward on 06 June 2013  |  6 comments
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With Father's Day just a week away, we have the best cheap gifts worth a look.

Father’s Day falls on 16th June this year, so the clock is ticking if you want to get your dad a present that he’ll love but which won’t cost you a fortune.

Lots of restaurant chains are offering dads a free beer or even a two course lunch on Sunday 16th June, but if you’re planning to treat your dad check if you need to book to ensure you’re eligible for the offer. 

And read the small print to check which locations are included, as Heathrow and Centre Parks locations are excluded with Strada.

Free beer

Dad can get a free pint (worth £3.95) at La Tasca when you book its special ‘Feast Like A King’ meal, available in all forty outlets. For £14.95 a person (£5.95 for children) you get a choice of starters and seven tapas dishes to share.  

Eat at Prezzo and dad can get a free bottle of Peroni beer (33cl) when ordering any main course (excluding locations in Scotland).

Dads eat for free

Dads get a free two course meal at Frankie & Benny’s when a minimum of one main meal is ordered. And there’s a free two course meal on offer at Chiquito when two or more people order from the main menu. 

At Bella Italia the deal is a free main course when you buy another. The cheapest main course is the free one and there’s no minimum number of diners with this.

And if dad has a sweet tooth, free ice cream is on offer at Strada as dads get a free gelato dessert worth £4 with any pizza, pasta or main dish.

Gifts for under £10

Head for Hawkin’s Bazaar where you can pop in your price range for relevant ideas.  There’s even a ‘£2 and under’ section for smaller pockets.  

I found a desktop bowling set for £8, a Lego torch keyring for £8 and an LED book light for a fiver. And at Marks and Spencer you can get a hip flask for £5 or a wooden solitaire set for £6.

Buy dad a supply of his favourite childhood sweets at Retro Sweets  A ‘medium jar’ of Rhubarb & Custard, Black Jacks & Fruit Salads, Cola bottles or Drumsticks (all containing approx. 500g) will set you back £7.95 plus postage.  

Or how about a limited edition bottle of ‘Dad’ Coke? The iconic logo has been temporarily replaced with special ‘Dad’ bottles on both Coke and Coke Zero and you can pick these up at Tesco and Selfridges for £1.50.

Make it personal

Personalised gifts are fun and you can order everything from custom made cakes to bottles of dad’s favourite tipple online. 

At Cake Toppers you can have one of the kids’ drawings or a family photo emblazoned across a sponge cake. Prices from £32.50 (8 x 8 inch size) for a picture cake and £35 for a photo cake. Delivery is from £5.95 and there’s a next day delivery if you order by 2pm. 

Or for a cheaper alternative have your picture printed on an icing sheet (7.5 x 10 inch size) for £5.49 from Photo On A Cake and make your own cake at home.

Gadget gifts

For everything from the wacky and fun to retro memorabilia try Firebox.com for ideas. Among the gifts on offer I found a ‘camera lens’ mug for £14.99, a portable folding ‘Notebook BBQ grill’ for £24.99 and a Star Trek pizza cutter for £24.99. Delivery is from £3.95 or free on orders over £50.

But while there’s some great things on this site and it’s a brilliant source of inspiration, I have sometimes found that if you pop the item descriptions into eBay, you can find other suppliers selling what appear to be the same items for less. So it's worth shopping around.

Other great gifts I’ve found include personalised cases for iPhones and iPads from Photobox.co.uk where you can load up your snaps to create a one off gift. Right now there’s a deal on until 12th June which means you pay £12 for iPhone cases (a £9.99 discount), and £29.99 for an iPad photo case, reduced from £36.99. Delivery for each costs from £2.99.

Make dad King for a day

Dad can rule the table over a special ‘Father’s Day Medieval Banquet’ at Coombe Abbey hotel in Coventry. The four course feast includes Abbot’s Broth, Royal Rib and Baron’s Chicken and runs from 12.30pm – 4.30pm.  A £25 ticket includes the meal plus three goblets or wine, mead or soft drinks along with a themed stage show with live music and family entertainment.  

This one’s best for families with older children as there’s an age limit of 14 for entry.

Last orders

If you’re ordering online check delivery cut off times to ensure dad isn’t disappointed. Lots of companies do offer next day delivery; but most won’t deliver on a Sunday.

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