I came across a recent article stating that the average cost of a Father's Day gift was about $100. While this may be a price point many are comfortable with, it is something way beyond my budget, especially when I buy for several dads in my small close circle of friends and family.

Here are my Top 5 thoughtful Father's Day gifts for $10 or less that were given the thumbs-up by the dads I gave them to:

1) "Frame Capsule". One year I took pics of my kids as well as other kids of friends and family at a get-together I had a few months prior to Father's Day. While the kids were playing in the room I asked each kid to write a quick note to their dad telling them how they felt about them that instant. The younger kids drew a picture and I wrote down their words verbatim as to why they drew what they did for their dad. I then printed the pics on my printer, inserted the picture + the letter (make sure to include the date) in frames bought on clearance for under $5 and wrapped them up. The dads loved them. They most enjoyed the "Kodak moment" of words and faces frozen in time and have enjoyed opening up the back of the frame over the years to relive a time when their kids were younger. The words expressed by the kids ranging from toddler to teen were not only thoughtful, some were downright hilarious.

2) A Mini-BBQ Kit. I purchased a six-pack of brewery-type beer from Trader Joe's, and two small bags of fire-starter Hickory chips, six BBQ tongs and six oven mitts from a dollar-type store. I placed the Hickory chips in six small brown paper lunch bags, labeled it "Dad's Hot! Fire Starter" and tied a raffia ribbon around it. I then placed a bottle of beer, one each of the fire starter brown bags and BBQ tongs inside each of the oven mitts and made little tags that said "To a Smokin' Dad". Voila! Six cool gifts for about $5 each.

3) Baked Goodies. All the dads in my circle are not bakers. Grillers, yes. Cooks, maybe, but no bakers. One year I made batches of homemade brownies, chocolate chip cookies and rice crispy treats. I assembled them all in plates and gave them to my baker-challenged dads.

4) A Mini TV Watching Kit. Another year I purchased six big plastic chip bowls (some of which had a local sports team logo), a six-pack of brewery-type beer, microwave popcorn, and medium-sized bags of pretzels and chips. I placed the contents in the chip bowl and in the front I placed a computer-homemade "coupon-in-a-card" using free clip art of a TV remote control saying "License To Be a Couch Potato for A Day".

5) The Gift of Time. In my circle of friends and family, I have some who are full-time single dads, and some married dads who have such hectic jobs that personal free time is at a premium. One year I simply wrote a one-page, big-font letter stating how fast time goes and how we have to remember to take care of ourselves so we can better take care of those we love. On the bottom was a coupon for a free Saturday afternoon and evening of childcare so they can enjoy some adult-only time on a hobby or with their loved one. This was given to me as a Mother's Day present one year and I relished the down time so much that it has become somewhat of a traditional gift for those of us who are either short on money or time.

Father's Day doesn't have to have a price tag. Most dads I know don't give a hoot how much you spend on them. Some dads I know don't give a hoot how much you spend on them -- as long as they already have a flat screen TV. =) Joking aside, as long as the dads in your life know how much they are appreciated, the addition of a simple, thoughtful gift is icing on the cake! Here's to an uber-cool Father's Day to all the dads out there.