Father's Day is seeing a significant spending surge this year, with Brits expected to spend £14.63 more on dads than on mums during Mother's Day celebrations. According to discount code website MyVoucherCodes, the average spend on Father's Day gifts and cards will reach £54.38 on June 21, compared to £39.75 spent on mothers earlier this year.

Shifting Spending Trends

This marks a notable shift from previous years when Mother's Day typically saw higher spending. A decade ago, polls indicated that people spent only about half as much on fathers as they did on mothers. The change appears to be driven by several factors, including mothers themselves wanting to spoil the men in their lives.

Popular Gift Choices

Alcohol and food items top the list of Father's Day presents, each chosen by 27% of the 2,000 respondents surveyed by OnePoll in April. Gift cards follow closely, accounting for 24% of planned purchases. However, not all gifts are equally appreciated—jewelry ranks as the least ideal gift for dads, with 17% of respondents naming it as their least preferred option.

Reasons Behind the Spending Increase

Sarah-Jane Outten, a shopping expert at MyVoucherCodes, attributes the spending surge to several factors. "In many households, mums are still the ones organizing and purchasing gifts for Father's Day, and they're often more inclined to really spoil the dads in their lives with more expensive treats or multiple presents," she told the Daily Mail. Additionally, the cost of popular Father's Day gifts like food, meals out, and alcohol has increased over the past year.

Social Changes and Emotional Bonds

Psychologists suggest that the shift in spending may also be influenced by changing social dynamics. Fathers are now playing a more hands-on role in parenting as traditional gender roles have broken down. Closer emotional bonds between children and fathers compared to previous generations may also contribute to the increased spending.

Budgeting Tips

Outten recommends setting a budget, planning ahead, looking for discount codes, and making the most of multi-buy deals to help keep costs down. The survey of 2,000 people across the UK was conducted by OnePoll in April, following a similar survey about Mother's Day in February.