Do you think it's tacky for teens to ask for money for Christmas?

[4greatboys]

I just feel the need to say just because you give someone cash doesn't mean there wasn't any thought put into their gift. We don't give cash to everyone as a gift but I do give it to teenagers in the family who may be saving up for something special. It makes me happy as the giver to give what they really needed and it makes them happy to get something they need or could really use.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[MELSMICE]

Just wanted to say with the economy if you buy gift cards, I'd reccommend those tied to credit cards like American Express, Visa, etc or Wal Mart. That's what I'm doing because I don't want my money to go to waste.

Good idea for those that do buy gift cards.

 

[RitaZ.]

Melsmice, I think it is fair to say, given your reponses on this thread, that you are the exception rather than the rule for a lot of our relatives' gift-giving habits.

After receiving inflatable dinosaurs, plastic child earrings, and ugly, itchy pull-over sweaters when I only wore cardigans when I was an older teen, I would have jumped at the chance to request cash instead of gifts that end up in the charity box.

Now that I am older, I wish my grandma would just keep her money and stop sending gifts. But I have to give her a list of things I want or I'll end up with a QVC gift [please, Jesus, not Quacker Factory!] that is difficult and costly for her to return.

That would make an excellent tag!

 

[tiggerlover]

If you didn't ask for the list than I think it is tacky of them to email you and request money for Christmas. If you asked for the list and that is what they put on it than I would think it is less tacky. My DS (12) wanted to include money on his lists to the relatives that asked and I explained to him that I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask for money, I told him to come up with a few items he would like to have and that if he wanted to ask for a gift card from his favorite store he could include it as long as there were other choices on the list.

With that said, I do sometimes give money or giftcards if I can't find something the person likes in my budget, but it isn't my favorite thing to give because it seems so impersonal. I like to put a lot of thought and attention into my gift giving and that simply isn't possible with gc's or money.