Open your wallet...for Pop

Poor old Dad. Forever playing second fiddle to Good Old Mom. We gave Dad his own holiday in 1962, while people have been celebrating mothers since Roman times.

The least we can do is buy him a nice tie once a year. But when it comes to shelling out the dollars for a parent, Dad has traditionally gotten the short end of the stick. The good news, however, is that even with the ugly economy, people will open their wallets for Pop...and spend goodly amounts anyway.

This coming Father's Day (June 15,) one business research group is reckoning that U.S. consumers will spend some $11 billion on gifts, food, and outings with the Old Man. That's $7 billion less than they spend on Mother's Day, according to the same group, but still an eye-popping amount given the way things are going.