If your Father's Day gift sucks, blame it on the gas

That gas prices are going from bad to worse is something that everyone knows by now. I don't need to discuss it in this blog. However, I always take notice when the gas affects other things. Previously I pointed out that the economy was in trouble as indicated by beer drinkers. And now, it turns out fathers may not be getting a whole lot of loving when it comes to gifts this upcoming Father's Day. Who says so? Well, the National Retail Federation, the same friendly folks who get concerned when people don't buy stuff the rest of the year. The NRF conducted a survey and concluded that "Dad Takes a Back Seat to Gas and Food Costs." It seems we fathers can't catch a break. As if the lousy ties were not bad enough, we might not even get that this year. From the press release which I linked:

“When it comes to dad, a simple greeting card and family dinner really goes a long way,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “Unfortunately, consumers are torn between their love for dad and their need for gas this year.”

Hell, you may not even get the dinner this year. It's either you or the gas, and guess who will likely win out. It's not the families' fault. Your family does need to put gas on that big SUV to get to the nearest Outback (this one, not this one). Tough choice. However, there will still be some shopping going on according to the survey. The NRF does make it sound like a panic, but look at the numbers:

"According to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Father’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, consumers plan to spend an average of $94.54, compared to last year’s $98.34. Total spending is expected to reach $9.6 billion."

Do you realize that is only $3.80 cents less spending? Based on that, you may just have to settle for going to Taco Bell instead and a nice card. Which proves that in the end, joking aside, the most important time about the holiday, or any holiday like this, is the time spent with the family. As the old Master Card ad would say, that is priceless.