Appropriate graduation gift amount for neighbor

[kirstenb1]

$25 seems low. I'd go $50. Central Virginia here.

 

[brockash]

Our neighbors son just graduated high school and invited us to the party. We are friendly with them but not friends, if that makes sense. I am not sure the appropriate amount to put in his card. I don't want to be cheap, but don't want to put to much in the card. I think $25.00 is a good amount but my husband said that is cheap and we should at least put $50.00 in there. I think that sounds like a lot!

For a graduation gift; even for someone you don't really know well; I'd probably do 50. Either that or nothing and don't go...I do think it's odd that they're sending you an invite if you all aren't friends...if you've never hung out before; I'd jusy politely decline.

 

[PollyannaMom]

OP - I think it pretty much depended on how many graduates we knew that year! We probably did $25 for neighbors/friends of DS, though. I'm sure whatever you do will be appreciated, and it all gets added together anyway.

In any case, I received a high school graduation announcement from my stepsister for him and would like to send something on. What is the appropriate amount? I unfortunately don't remember what I gave his sister 3 years ago.

I'd probably do $50 in that case. You don't want to do less than the sibling, but if you do more, you can chalk it up to inflation.

 

[brockash]

I'm going to tag on here and ask my own question.

My stepsister and I no longer speak, but we have not put the kids in the middle of it. Both of my nieces have stayed in touch (at least via social media), but my nephew has not (I'm not judging him on that since I don't think he's on social media at all). I have not seen any of them in 4 years, which means it's been that long since I've talked to him.

In any case, I received a high school graduation announcement from my stepsister for him and would like to send something on. What is the appropriate amount? I unfortunately don't remember what I gave his sister 3 years ago.

$50 is what I would do...unless you know you got the siblings more... I'd try to keep ot as even as possible...no matter the relationship with the mom etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm sure whatever you do will be appreciated, and it all gets added together anyway.

This..I'm all about trying to put thought into it but once you start assigning cheap as a descriptor or X amount or you shouldn't go or other things the thought that counts mantra has gone out the window. Grads are just going to be happy to get something and it's nice to just celebrate someone's achievement by any means of an acknowledgement.

Unrelated to your comment but my guess is the neighbors didn't want to be rude inviting some neighbors but not others to what is probably a very visible event. My only guess for why friendly but not friends to the grad was invited.

 

[holden]

Around here $50 would be the starting point.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

$25 is fine

 

[Worfiedoodles]

What kind of neighbors are you? Did your kids play together? Have you watched the child grow up for 15 years? Do you just wave in passing? I would say the amount depends on the depth of the relationship.

What kind of a relationship do you expect to have going forward?

Waving neighbors = $25, more than that and I would give a bit more — the $40 option seems good if it’s not a lot more than that.

 

[ICF]

I’d say $25 in this situation , as some who just had his daughters HS grad party on Saturday

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I would also think $20-$25 would be appropriate.

 

[connorlevismom]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I am trying to keep this in mind as next year my son graduates and I don't want to make any mistakes. I think we will do $50 and just be good with it.

As far as what kind of neighbors we are. We are friendly but we don't hang out. We will talk to them if we are all out in our yards and we do like them quite well. But our kids never played together or hung out.

 

[nene0182]

We usually do $40 in cash only because it’s easy to get two 20’s from the ATM.

 

[Darcy03231]

$25 for neighborhood kid.

 

[stsomewhere]

I would give $25 0r $40. However, I just gave our neighbor $100. His dad gave both of our kids $100 each when they graduated ( 2016 and 2019). I was shocked on that amount. We have known them since he was born. Our families use to be fairly close., especially when the kids were young.

 

[lifesavacation]

I'd say $50 is the starting point. DD17 graduated this year and people were generous. We sent out $100 to everyone we got announcements from.

 

[_19disnA]

$25 is fine for the graduate of a neighbor you just wave to when out in the yard.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd say $50 is the starting point. DD17 graduated this year and people were generous. We sent out $100 to everyone we got announcements from.

I have a question, graduation announcements aren’t really a thing here. Is one expected to just write a check if they get one?

I‘m trying to figure out what yo give my niece. My seniors are flying out for her graduation party, flights and Uber’s are costing me around $650. My sister has money. My niece doesn’t really need money, she was given $1500 to take to college plus her grandparents are sending her $500 a month. Would $100 be cheap considering she’s my niece and my sister is my only sibling? My niece is flying back with my kids, my sister and nephews are flying here a few days later and we are vacationing for a week together.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We are friendly with them but not friends, if that makes sense. I am not sure the appropriate amount to put in his card. I don't want to be cheap, but don't want to put to much in the card. I think $25.00 is a good amount but my husband said that is cheap and we should at least put $50.00 in there. I think that sounds like a lot!

Um, um think $25 would be ok. I would say somewhere in the $25-50 range, no lower or higher.

In any case, I received a high school graduation announcement from my stepsister for him and would like to send something on. What is the appropriate amount? I unfortunately don't remember what I gave his sister 3 years ago.

$50 for sure, maybe $100.

 

[lifesavacation]

I have a question, graduation announcements aren’t really a thing here. Is one expected to just write a check if they get one?

I‘m trying to figure out what yo give my niece. My seniors are flying out for her graduation party, flights and Uber’s are costing me around $650. My sister has money. My niece doesn’t really need money, she was given $1500 to take to college plus her grandparents are sending her $500 a month. Would $100 be cheap considering she’s my niece and my sister is my only sibling? My niece is flying back with my kids, my sister and nephews are flying here a few days later and we are vacationing for a week together.

Yes, I gave money to everyone we got announcements from. I wrote a check for some and for others I got Target gift cards (dorm supplies), but I kept the amount at $100. My daughter got money back from everyone but the grandparents (they sent gifts). $50 was the least she got. Most sent $100. And a few of the aunts and uncles just venmo'd her the money. She's our 4th child so we've been through this 4 times. We definitely don't need the money and all of my kids were scholarshipped, but people still sent money. I don't know if this varies by region or not.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

I was born to the wrong parents and have been associating with the wrong kind of neighbors and have the wrong family members I need to level up here

J/K..well sort of