When it comes to celebrating Father’s Day, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to make him happy. Whether you’re celebrating the day for your father or you and the kids are giving your partner a day to remember, you can find free ways to give him more than he could ever ask for and keep the money in the bank.

Kick the honey-do in the butt

If he has a honey-do list a mile long, take control of that list for a day and check off a few things. Mow the lawn, detail the interior and exterior of the cars, and maybe get in the garden for a little weed pulling. Whatever is on the list, give Dad the time to sit back and relax while you act like Dad for a day.

Give him a “new to you” grill

Men and grilling go hand in hand and if the father in your life is a griller, use Father’s Day as a reason to spruce up the grill. Grab some gloves, soap, and a scrub brush and go to town on those racks. After scrubbing off all the debris, rinse, dry, and give the racks a light coat of high-temp oil. Clean the inside of the grill and remove all ash (if you have a charcoal grill).

Start a father’s day memory book

Grab an old photo album and clean out all the photos. Cover the outside with construction paper or fabric to give it a new look. Add some pictures, poems or other items reminiscent of times with dad. Every year you can add a few more items to expand your Father’s Day memory album. 

Theme night with dinner and a movie

Does the dad in your life love horror flicks? Maybe he is a sci-fi fan. No matter the genre, you can give him a night to remember for relatively no cost at all with a theme night dinner and a movie. Choose his favorite movie and plan a meal, complete with decorations and costumes, around the theme of the movie. If a friend or a family member has a projector, you can show the movie outside for added fun.

Father’s Day is all about celebrating dads, but that doesn’t have to mean spending a ton of cash. Sometimes it is the small things in life that matter the most and those small things tend to be extremely inexpensive or free.