$ - How Much for Grad Gift?

[Mom_Rides]

We usually give $20-$25 regardless if it is family or friend. My cousin graduated high school this year and we gave her $40. But she is more like my niece since I'm 18 years older then her and I've been extremely close to her since she was born. When our nieces and nephews graduate, we will likely give them $50 each.

I work in a bank and see a lot of graduates making deposits into their accounts and a majority of the checks that I see range from $25-$50, some higher, some lower. They also tend to have a lot of $20 bills in their deposits.

 

[disykat]

Like others I'm assuming high school because I've never been to a college graduation party.

My son graduated this year and, in our circle unless you are very close friends with the family it is way less than people here are indicating. Good family friends and relatives get $30 and up, but "friends" get something simple.

Friends of my son, or children of my friends where I only know them through that connection got something simple. This year I gave skinny hangers (for dorm rooms) I found at Costco for $15. Last year I gave white boards and markers. The year before, towels. All in the $10 - 15 range.

My son got things that were equivalent from people he only knows casually. He got a book, a couple of movie tickets, a clock, and a gift bag with several command hangers for his dorm room - just little things to wish him well. I think cards only are fine too, my son appreciated the ones he got.

 

[Bungle]

Family and very close friends $100, everyone else $25 giftcard usually gas or starbucks.

 

[Pre]

If it's for high school and they are having a party I write a check for twenty dollars and whatever cents (11) it's a cute way to get around having to spend a lot of money and not look too cheap.
I just graduated law school and got nothing so it really depends on what your family and friends are comfortable with.

 

[a1tinkfans]

100. regardless of college or HS

 

[carrie1626]

My son just opened his "gift cards" last night after the HS graduation party.
Gifts ranged from $25.00 to $75.00. Grandparents gave more
Choose what fits your budget!!

I personally give $25.00 for each non-family graduate, $50.00 for family.

 

[Belle5]

I have had four high school grads in my house over the past several years...including one this year. In GENERAL this is what they have been given:

grandparents who are alive: $100

aunts and uncles:$50

friends of the whole family (parents are close friends of ours): $25, 50, 100 depending

average gift from neighbors, etc.= Starbuck's card, book, $25

 

[johnsontrio]

DD graduated this year so we are getting a zillion invitations. I always give $100 to the nieces and nephews and $40 to $50 if the graduate is a son or daughter of someone we socialize with. $25 for everyone else. I ordered 15 $25 AmEx gift cards and 2 $100 AmEx gift cards and they are gone already and the invitations are still coming in. For DD's twin best friends, I bought them pearl earrings, which they loved, as well as a $25 gift card.

 

[collegejunkie]

when i graduated high school, the lowest i got was $100 and up to $1,000 (close family friend). i wouldn't give less than $100 and i'm surprised that there are people giving less than $50. to me, that seems like what you would give someone for their birthday, which comes yearly. a graduation is different. if you can afford it, i'd say $100. if money is tight, then that's a different story.

edit: maybe it's a regional thing, because i see that the majority of people on here give less than $100

 

[disykat]

when i graduated high school, the lowest i got was $100 and up to $1,000 (close family friend). i wouldn't give less than $100 and i'm surprised that there are people giving less than $50. to me, that seems like what you would give someone for their birthday, which comes yearly. a graduation is different. if you can afford it, i'd say $100. if money is tight, then that's a different story.edit: maybe it's a regional thing, because i see that the majority of people on here give less than $100

I can't imagine, living in a country where most people can't scrape up 2K for an emergency, that many people have $500 or more to throw around every year for graduations.

I had about 10 people I socialize with whose kids graduated this year, my own graduate, a close family friend graduate, and my child's friends. As always on gift threads, I'm glad I live where I live. I can't even imagine.

 

[Anne34]

I'm so glad that my daughter's group of friends decided not to give gifts for each others parties. There are about 30 of them that hang out together and the just go to the parties and enjoy instead of giving gifts back & forth!

My daughter got mostly cash, with a couple picture frames and gift cards. It will be put into her new school checking account!

 

[fortwildernessishome]

We just had my sons graduation party yesterday. From his aunts and uncles he received between 50.00-100.00. One grandmother gave 300.00 and some gifts for college, the other gave 25.00. Friends and cousins gave between 20.00-40.00. I say give what you can afford. We were jsut thrilled that everybody that we invited came to the party. That is what meant A LOT to us!!!!

 

[LittleMissMagic]

When I'm friends with the parents and kid, $100
When I'm friends with the parents but don't really know the kid $50
When I don't know either but the kid is friends with mine $20-30

I think this is a good guideline.

When I graduated, our close family friends gave $100-150. My peers gave $25-50. Ironically, my family member (on my dad's side... they're cheapskates) gave me $20 (and that was just from one aunt, the others didn't gift... he has four siblings. Dad is the baby of the family, and we are the babies of the grandkids... my dad gave all of my cousins $100 when they graduated ). Better than nothing!

 

[kcrew]

On a related topic, my husband has been invited to 2 graduation parties for coworkers' children. One of the grads he has never even met. He doesn't plan to attend either, but what is the etiquette/thought process on this? Do parents tend to invite everyone they remotely know(kind of like a lot of weddings?) to make it a big affair and to receive lots of gifts? Just seems weird to me....

 

[2disneyboys]

friends/ kids of friends/ etc I usually give between $25-$50 depending on the realtionship (close or not) My oldest niece is the first "family" I have had to give a gift to for HS graduation and we are giving her $100. We went back and forth on the amt, but when it came down to it, she is the oldest of 10 nieces/nephews and we (DH& I) still have 3 siblings that haven't even gotten married/started the kid thing) We didn't want to start something we could not afford to keep doing!

It really comes down to what you are comfortable doing. When DH & I got married, we paid for our wedding in full ourselves. (including tux rentals/new dress for both of our familes (we knew my family could not afford it but did not want to make them feel uncomfortable so we paid for both of our families) My mother and father had just seperated and my mother was pretty much having to put every cent she had towards my younger siblings. She gave me a quilt she ordered with our name & dates stitched into it as our wedding present. It maybe cost $100. my inlaws were(are) in a much better financial shape and gave us $2500 to go towards whatever... the funny thing is the quilt meant more to DH & I then the $2500 because we both knew by spending that (approx $100) my mother had to actually do with out.. most likly for weeks/months to save even that whereas the inlaws just had to pull some $ out of savings (don't get me wrong, we really appreciated the $ from inlaws, however, we recoginized my mothers much smaller gift was more of a sacarafice so it made it more special) (DOES THAT MAKE SENSE??) anyway, I know this was totally not graduation related, however, the point is, do what you can afford to do, and I am sure the person will appreciate it.

 

[Schmoodle]

For us it's:
High School Grad
$25 for acquaintances, friends of my kids
$50 for nieces and nephews, close friends

For College Grad, I double those.

Of course, what it comes down to is what you can afford to do!

Kcrew, in that situation I would not feel obligated to send a gift. If your DH feels awkward about doing nothing, a card should suffice. I agree that is a little weird if he doesn't have a personal relationship with those people.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Wow...my DN is graduating and I got her a bracelet. When my DS's graduated I don't think her parents (my db and sil) gave my kids anything.

Seems like some people give me for a graduation gift then they do for weddings!

 

[collegejunkie]

I can't imagine, living in a country where most people can't scrape up 2K for an emergency, that many people have $500 or more to throw around every year for graduations.

I had about 10 people I socialize with whose kids graduated this year, my own graduate, a close family friend graduate, and my child's friends. As always on gift threads, I'm glad I live where I live. I can't even imagine.

i was answering the question the way that i know how to answer it, which is the way that i'm used to doing it. just because it is different from what you're used to doesn't mean that i'm wrong. it just means that we do things differently. i'm glad your way works for you.

 

[disykat]

i was answering the question the way that i know how to answer it, which is the way that i'm used to doing it. just because it is different from what you're used to doesn't mean that i'm wrong. it just means that we do things differently. i'm glad your way works for you.

I don't think I said you were wrong? Simply pointing out that that kind of money would be a problem for many people - which you yourself said would excuse doing it differently than you were suggesting.