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The Cheapskate's best Father's Day 2019 gift ideas

No time to waste! Score Dad some great stuff without spending a fortune.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
4 min read

Father's Day is less than a week away (Sunday, June 16, if you haven't already marked your calendar), which means it's definitely time to start making some Father's Day gift decisions.

As a dad myself, I don't expect anything fancy or extravagant. I'm happy with something simple. Thoughtful. Practical. And I definitely don't want the family spending a lot on me.

With that in mind, I've rounded up some fantastic Father's Day gifts, all of them budget-friendly, many of them on sale for a limited time. (And be sure to check out Matt Elliott's roundup of Apple Watch discounts, too.)

Read more: 10 great Father's Day gifts under $100

Read more: The complete Father's Day 2019 gift guide

I'm a newfound fan of the RemoBell S, which for $99 offers a Ring-like video doorbell experience and free cloud storage to boot. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done. And this Father's Day promotion nets you a free chime, a $29 value.

You can also get the RemoBell W for $149, a savings of $50. It already comes with a chime and offers more advanced motion-detection.

With a Tile on Dad's keychain and the Tile app on his phone, it's always easy to find one or the other. Tap the app to locate the keys; double-press the Tile itself to locate the phone (even if it's set to mute). The Tile Pro offers better range and a more rugged design than the Tile Mate, and this 2-pack means Dad can also stick one to that other constantly misplaced item: the TV remote.

Is Dad a coffee connoisseur? Then he'd probably enjoy this gift subscription, which delivers a new exotic blend every month. Although $5 off isn't much, there are bigger savings with longer terms: $21 off 6 months and $51 off 12 months.

I've made no secret of my love for digital photo frames, and while you can earmark a tablet or smart-home hub for the same purpose, there's something to be said for the simplicity of Nixplay's dedicated frames. New photos get added quickly and easily via app, email or social media, and the Seed can work vertically or horizontally, depending on how you position it.

Want more size and color options? Nixplay proper is offering 15% off one frame, 20% off two and 25% off three, a sale that includes all Seed and Iris models.

If you and Dad don't live close by, here's a great way to keep in touch. The Portal is a 10.1-inch video chat device that can also do smart-hub things (like play music, run photo slideshows, show YouTube videos and so on). At $129, this is a much cheaper option than the Amazon Echo Show ($230) and Google Nest Hub Max ($229).

Facebook Portal review.

Does Dad enjoy a cold-brew coffee on a hot summer's day? Bam: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Daily Steals has the KitchenAid KCM5912SX Cold Brew Coffee Maker for $68when you apply promo code CNETKAID at checkout. Price at Amazon: $100. Price when CNET previewed the smaller original version a couple years ago: $130.

The Nest Hub (formerly Home Hub) was already a pretty good deal when it was selling for $70-80 all by itself (considering the $129 list price), but this new bundle is even better: It adds the Home Mini smart speaker and one of GE's C-Life smart bulbs.

Google Home Hub review.

Price drop! These were selling at $199 just a few days ago -- and $299 before that.

If your dad is anywhere between the ages of 40 and 65, he probably has fond memories of playing arcade games back in the '70s and '80s. I certainly do, which is why I love Arcade1Up's 3/4-size coin-op game reproductions. The Asteroids and Centipede models (which each play four different games) are a nice option at this price.

If Dad is a Spotify fan, this is a fantastic accessory. The Mighty Vibe is tiny portable player that resembles Apple's old iPod Shuffle, one that sucks up Spotify playlists for phone- and data-free listening. A built-in spring clip makes it a ready companion for the gym, the trail, the workshop or wherever.

Mighty Vibe review.

Gotta love a good pair of true-wireless earbuds, which automatically turn on and pair the moment you take them out of the case. You know, like AirPods or Samsung Galaxy Buds.

But those are too expensive. Thankfully, these TaoTronics earbuds are nearly as good for a fraction of the price. They normally run $50, but there's currently an on-page $5-off coupon, which makes the deal a little sweeter still.

Taotronics TT-BH053 review.

Check back soon for more gift ideas! (You'll find them at the top of this list.)

Originally published on May 22.
Update, June 10: New additions and changes to deal pricing and availability.

Father's Day: Clever smart home gadgets your dad will actually love

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