Be a Responsible Consumer This Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a celebration that honours and celebrates parenthood and the general influence of fathers on society.

In Fiji, Father’s Day is celebrated today by some, while some next Sunday; the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma celebrate on Sunday, September 20.

Father’s Day is an opportunity for children of all ages to thank Fathers for their unconditional love, support, affection, and contributions to their lives growing up.

The Council understands that families will want to take advantage of sales deals marketed around Father’s Day and buy that perfect gift for their fathers.

Consumer responsibilities

However, the Council advises consumers to be price- conscious and be wary of what they are buying.

They must exercise their responsibility as a consumer and look out for whether the goods are of satisfactory quality and they must ensure to check their receipts or tax invoices and ensure their safe keeping should they have issues with goods later on. Goods must also match the advertiser’s description.

The Council also advises consumers to look out for advertisements which may seem too good to be true. Ask the right questions and as many as you can about an advertised deal or promotion.

Make a habit of properly inspecting the goods before buying.

While Father’s Day is a day to celebrate all the things that fathers do for their families,this does not necessarily mean that expensive gifts must be bought to show appreciation.

The commercialisation of this day should not draw from the fact that simple gestures of love like spending time with fathers are just as or even more acceptable than fancy gifts.

Special mention must also be made of single parent families in which one parent shoulders both roles of a father and mother. In essence, there is no price that can be put on time spent with the men and women who perform the duties of parenthood and that is perhaps the most valuable gift you can give this Father’s Day.

Consumer tips

If you’re thinking of ways to get a gift for Father’s Day and save money at the same time, the following tips could help.

■Give him special “privileges”.

This is a free way to make his Father’s Day extra special. Let him completely control the remote control or decide what he wants to eat for the day.

■Make Dad dinner at home. Get out the grill and make him a meal he won’t forget. Look up recipes on Pinterest for some awesome marinade ideas.

■Do his work for him. If dad normally mows or trims the lawn, do it for him.

Just taking a day off and getting to relax on this stuff can really mean a lot to him.

Make a home-made card – instead of buying a fancy, expensive Father’s Day card why not make your own to give to him?

The effort you put into it will be more appreciated than the money you could have spent – the bits and pieces you’ll need to make a card won’t cost much at all.

This is a great thing to do if you have kids as well – they’re sure to enjoy making something to give to their Dad or Grandad.

Create a photo album – you and the rest of your family are the most important thing to your Dad, so why not print off some photos of your family that you know he’ll love and create a personalised photo album for him.

This is a great gift that he’ll be able to keep forever, and it won’t cost you much to create. Organise a day out – Father’s Day it’s the perfect time to get out and about with your Dad.

You don’t have to take him somewhere expensive, all parents want is to spend quality time with their kids, so you could go for a picnic, a bike ride or a relaxing walk around your local public gardens.

Spending time together can always be free! For any consumer concerns please contact the Council on toll free number 155 or lodge a complaint via the Consumer Council of Fiji App.