To lighten things up, and spread some of our knowledge (plus its nearly Spring and I'm itching to get some new project underway)....

This topic is for cheap (roughly $100 or less) or free mods you can do on your truck. List the year range it applies to, and if it's model specific like an XLT, Lariat, etc. then note that as well. Hopefully, we can all get some ideas for our own truck(s).

I'll start off with some simple items:

LED light bulb swap
Price varies, applies to most Ford trucks. . For taillights, reverse lights and front turn signals this can be pretty cheap. For retrofitting headlights, they can be found under $100, but some of the high end LED headlight bulbs can go higher for a pair.

"Gotts Mod"
$10 - $15. This applies to 1997 - 2003 F150, and 2004 F150 Heritage Edition, 2004 - 2008 F150, 2009-2010 F150. I know it works for the 5.4L V8 and 4.6L, might for the 6. Basically, the air box on these has a snorkel going from the airbox into a hole in the fender to take in cool air. The snorkel is a bit restrictive (especially on the 1997 - 2003) --- remove it and replace it with a piece of PVC pipe wider than the snorkel -- enlarging the hole in the air box as needed. Depending on your truck, results are up to 10HP gain, but only after about 3000-3500 RPM --- the air box flows plenty below that.

Badge Acetone
Cost under $10 for a can of acetone. Applies to all models. Some people do this with the badges still on the truck, taping around them but I recommend taking a badge off to avoid damaging the truck's paint. Take a cloth and dampen it with acetone, and gently remove the paint from the badge. After all the paint is removed, let it dry completely and you can then either paint it a solid color or clear coat it. I don't recommend leaving it uncoated as it can oxidize and dull over time if you do.

Mud Flaps
About $10-$20 depending on the width. Applies to all years. You can get thick rubber sheets at most farm supply stores. Use cardboard first to measure and cut out a template, then check fitment. Use the template to cut each flap. Fastening it to the truck will vary by model.

Radio Bezel Painting
Cost is a can of spray paint. I recommend using flexible paint that's used on plastic parts. It costs about $15 - $20 for a can. Remove the bezel surrounding the stereo, sound system or NAV system on your truck. Clean with rubbing alcohol, let it dry and paint it whatever color you desire. Personally, I like the look of a color different from the interior color, to give things some contrast. You can also paint other bezels in the dash to match.

Headlight Housing Blackout
Same as above, cost is a can of spray paint. I recommend using flexible paint that's used on plastic parts. It costs about $15 - $20 for a can. I don't recommend a gloss black, it looks weird. Use a flat black, or if you prefer some other color. This mod is for 1997+ trucks which use housings which have areas around the lights that are chrome colored. Remove the housings from the truck, remove the clear plastic at the front of the housings and gently buff the area you plan to paint with super fine wet sanding paper. You don't need much, just enough to give the paint something to grip to. Cover the headlight area with masking tape and then paint it.

PlastiDip
Price varies depending on what you have planned. I'm not a fan of the look, but many people really like it, especially since you can get PlastiDip in many colors. The possibilities are many, from wheels, to badges. I won't go into details as I've never done it myself and there are plenty of guides on the Internet.