Father’s Day is coming up. It’s got to be one of the most downplayed events of the year. The role of the father has been devalued in our culture to the point that virtually no one feels it’s an occasion worth celebrating at all.

I believe the reasons for that are many. Any role that is abused by those who fill it is destined to be devalued. But there are many of us Dads out there who take their job very seriously and are darned good at it. We deserve a pat on the back.

With that in mind, here are a few ways you can make the Father in your life feel like a million bucks… without going broke.

10. Don’t ever refer to him as one of your children.

I’ve heard many a loving wife jokingly add one additional child to the total when they’re asked how many kids they have. “It’ll be nice when I get him raised,” they’ll say. Would you like it if he talked to his friends like that about you?

9. Let him overhear you talking him up.

This is the polar opposite of the last point. Rather than your husband catching you talking him down… how much will it pump him up to hear you talking good about him? We husbands are pretty simple. We rise or fall to the level you treat us like we’re at already. Treat your man like he’s a 10… pretty soon, he’ll start being an 11.

8. Bake something.

Seriously. Nothing says “I love you” like baking. Make cookies. A cake. Perhaps a peach cobbler. Heck, we’d settle for a banana putting with 3 boxes of vanilla wafers. If you’ll ask him nicely, I’m sure he’d agree to eat it all before you were tempted to do it yourself.

7. Give him some guilt-free time.

I know it may seem he already gets a lot of that already… but guilt-free free time is priceless and not the same as sneaking off to play video games. The more guilt-free time you give him… the less he’ll take from the family later on.

6. New Socks, Underwear and Undershirts.

Don’t wrap them up and give them to him. It’s embarrassing and underwhelming in that context. Buy them and put them in his drawer without saying a word. It’ll be a huge surprise the next morning to find a drawer full of fresh, unworn whites. Every man’s dream.

5. Watch one of his movies with him/Play one of this video games with him.

Men have an unsaid creed: “Love me, Love my stuff”. It’s true. If you really want to show him you care, offer to do some of his stuff with him. If it’s golf, have at it. Fishing? Put on the flannel shirt. Hunting? Bambie is doomed. Video games? Consider yourself lucky you’re not in the woods with that other wife gutting a Disney character.

4. Take him out to dinner.

It’s cliché but if the restaurant serves steak or giant hamburgers… he’s gonna love it. Just don’t have anyone come out and sing to him. This time… spring for appetizers and dessert.

3. Have the kids write notes rather than make cards.

Cards a good… but a note listing out what his kids think of him is even better. Tell the kids to write a list of their favorite things about dad. If they’re to little to write, write it for them as they dictate. If they’re super young, write it up as if they did it themselves. If they’re older be more specific and have them write several of their all time favorite memories over the past years. Then have them put that in a card if you want. He might cry.

2. Lots of hugs, kisses and compliments.

Your man is a lot more like you than you may think. He likes to be told he’s good looking, wonderful, hard-working, a good father and husband. He likes you to fawn over him. As an added bonus… with every kiss and hug, you’ll probably get a kiss and hug in return. It’s a good investment either way.

1. Good lovin’.

We’re all married adults here. You know what I’m talking about so do that… very well.