Creative Way to Give Cash

[va32h]

Normally I would prefer not to just give outright cash at Christmas. However, my mom is living on a fixed income, and I know that cash would be far more useful to her than anything else I could possibly give.

I thought about gift cards, but she doesn't drive anymore, so she is entirely dependent on my aunt or sisters to take her places, so giving her a gift card isn't practical, as she doesn't really have a lot of control over where she shops.

But I would like to do something a little more festive that just hand her an envelope.

Ideas? Brainstorm with me.

 

[debster812]

You could twist this idea:

2 years ago, I had my semi-poverty striken college student neice in our Family Christmas Grab.

I gave her a new purse, and 'filled it' with purse stuff, and with gift cards. You could find a purse she might like, and stuff it with some cash or some 'generic' gift cards (Visa or Amex rather than store specific).

 

[brasswillow]

If you celebrate Christmas you could make a Christmas tree out of dowel rod and then use the dollar bills to make the green part of the tree. There are bill folding techniques online, you could make ornaments out of bills too.

I don’t know if I explained it very well.... here's kind of what I'm talking about:

 

[dmslush]

I like the purse idea. Buy her a pretty wallet or change purse and put the check in there!

 

[sweetspicy]

I like the purse or wallet idea too! Or maybe you could get a small decorative jewelry box or something like that to put money or a check in.

 

[luvmyeor]

Ask your aunt or sisters what grocery store she usually shops at and buy her a gift card for that store. You could also offer to pay one of her utility bills. I remember our utility companies advertising this a few years ago. Does she have a regular hairstylist? Most salons offer gift certificates.

We have given phone cards to our grandmothers so they could call family without worrying about the long distance bill. We've also made baskets with stamps, paper, envelopes and pens.

 

[va32h]

I like the cash tree idea. I thought of a purse, but she is kind of picky about purses...I just have this horrible vision of her not liking the purse and donating it to Goodwill without even opening it up!!

One of the reasons I wanted to give her just cash is because I feel like she has had so much of her independence taken away from her lately. No car, no "home" of her own, as she has to live with relatives.

My sisters mean well, but they nag her all the time about how she spends her money - and I can see their point, because technically it is her "fault" for not planning for her retirement better, and they are helping her out, but still - she's our mom, and I know it is a blow to her dignity that she has to depend on her kids, the way we used to depend on her.

So I just wanted to give her this money that she could spend however she wanted, on video poker, or birthday presents for her grandkids, or eating out, or her blood-pressure medication.

But I wanted to do it in a fun way. Maybe a scrapbook full of pictures and mementoes, and little envelopes that each contain different bills.

 

[clh2]

I've done this with dollar-bill folding. On red card stock (you can purchase single sheets from a scrapbook store) this looks great!

A star is not necessary - especially if you do not have a star or a snowflake punch.

dollar bill christmas tree

 

[freckles and boo]

The bill folding is very cute but if mom has arthritis it could be a hassle unfolding them. My husband's uncle used to fold bills into rings you could put on your finger but getting them unfolded was a big challenge!

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I've done this with dollar-bill folding. On red card stock (you can purchase single sheets from a scrapbook store) this looks great!

A star is not necessary - especially if you do not have a star or a snowflake punch.

dollar bill christmas tree

Did you see the $100 earrings. Each earring was a $50.00 bill. Too neat.

 

[Mumbling Jumba]

Buy her a nice lock box for the closet and then tell her you wanted to make sure her valuables were safe and then tell her "Look at that they left the samples in it"

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

For my Nephew's most recent birthday, My mom took $25 ones and tied each one to a ribbon, and placed it inside a box, then she wrapped the box with celophane and had a long trailer of the ribbon leading out of the tissue paper. The idea was, to pull the dollar bill laiden ribben thru the neck of the celphane (it was tied loosely with a bow) and you got the money out that way. It was a neat gift idea.

 

[RunDanceSkate]

So I just wanted to give her this money that she could spend however she wanted, on video poker, or birthday presents for her grandkids, or eating out, or her blood-pressure medication.

But I wanted to do it in a fun way. Maybe a scrapbook full of pictures and mementoes, and little envelopes that each contain different bills.

Maybe a photo box that has Bday cards in. If she likes to do a bit of crafting, Michaels has make your own card sets where you choose one of the cards and stick on Happy Birthday, Congrats, balloons bday cakes, etc. (If she doesn't like to do crafting just put done cards in it)

I would set up the box with the cards in envelopes seperated into sections, bday, Christening, graduations, anything you foresee coming up in the next year, add money with each envelope, when an event comes up she pulls out the envelope, spends the money on a gift, makes the card and gives it to the receipient.

Then add a section that has cards for her, perhaps one per month, Jan, snow day Feb, fight the winter blahs, March madness, April for a rainy day, etc. These would be cards you made for her that each have a bit of mad money in it. She can open them as needed.

Cindy

 

[Imzadi]

Thre are many grocery stores that deliver & she can order by phone rather then over the web. Maybe a few gift certificates there?

www.freshexpress.com delivers all over the country. Maybe you can order some staples & frozen foods for her that would keep for a while.

There's also the fruit of the month clubs, or coffee/teas of the month clubs. This way she would get fresh foods periodically throught out the year. Having the food rationed would be good for her, since she's not good with budgeting her money.

American Express offers gift cards that can be used anywhere.

You are aware aren't you, that even though your mom's situation has changed & she's gotten a rude wake up call with how she has spent all her money in the past & not saved, that that doesn't mean she knows how to be more efficient with her money now. It's a known statistic that people who haven't been good with money in the past, who get a sudden windfall, like the lottery or an inheritance, end up spending it all again, and are back to having nothing. They don't know how to think & spend differently. Your mom may spend all the money you give her in a month or two. And both of you be out of that money.

It might be better for you to think out ways to spread out giving her the money over an extended period of time. Maybe you could create a Fresh Express account & have some of the staple foods delivered every couple of months & say you entered her name into some sort of a contest/program & she's won food being sent to her periodically! It wouldn't be untrue as she's won your program.

Also, the phone/utility companies now have monthly auto-pay programs which deduct from a personal checking account. Perhaps you & your sisters or aunts will be willing to take on this expense, or you can create a new checking account in your mom's name & each person rotate paying a month, or everyone pooling together each month. Good Luck!