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HS Graduation Gift Ideas

gtpeach

gtpeach

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My nephew is graduating high school in a few weeks, and I have NO idea what to get him! He's not going to college (at least not right away), and as of right now, I don't think he has a job secured. HE's going to be living at home for at least for the foreseeable future. When my niece graduated, I got her a ton of stuff to use at college and a pair of Toms. I don't want to skimp out on him, but I'm at a loss. Is a gift card too impersonal? Cash?
 
gtpeach said:
My nephew is graduating high school in a few weeks, and I have NO idea what to get him! He's not going to college (at least not right away), and as of right now, I don't think he has a job secured. HE's going to be living at home for at least for the foreseeable future. When my niece graduated, I got her a ton of stuff to use at college and a pair of Toms. I don't want to skimp out on him, but I'm at a loss. Is a gift card too impersonal? Cash?
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I am of the belief that cash is always the best gift - it's just the most efficient gift to give in nearly every circumstance as you can be confident that the recipient will get the enjoyment from the gift that the giver hopes they will, which isn't always the case with gift cards or some sort of physical item. My wife says it's too cold and impersonal, but I think it's perfect.
 
Cash is: 1) a very traditional graduation gift; and 2) makes no enemies
 
Maybe it's a woman thing. I prefer gifts over cash! Giving or receiving...

The personal finance book idea cracks me up. But is a great idea! Do you think an 18-year-old would read it on his own? I have my doubts... :)
 
gtpeach said:
Maybe it's a woman thing. I prefer gifts over cash! Giving or receiving...
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Why are you torturing yourself trying to plan the right gift? The best gifts sometimes are impulsive last minute purchases. Maybe you should stop at the gas station on your way to your nephew's and buy whatever the spirit moves at that time? Maybe lottery tickets, windshield washer fluid, Slim Jims, reflective sunglasses, a deluxe glove-ice scraper combo, or even all the above.....you know, keep yourself open to all the different possibilities. What speaks to you at that moment?

And then if that feels inadequate there's always cash.
 
Maister said:
Why are you torturing yourself trying to plan the right gift? The best gifts sometimes are impulsive last minute purchases. Maybe you should stop at the gas station on your way to your nephew's and buy whatever the spirit moves at that time? Maybe lottery tickets, windshield washer fluid, Slim Jims, reflective sunglasses, a deluxe glove-ice scraper combo, or even all the above.....you know, keep yourself open to all the different possibilities. What speaks to you at that moment?
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You must do your holiday shopping with my brother!
 
Cash is a good way to go in this situation.

I'm also very supportive of encouraging kids to travel somewhere on their own. If there were a way to gift frequent flyer points, that would be a great choice. Go see something completely different & maybe discover something about yourself.
 
gtpeach said:
The personal finance book idea cracks me up. But is a great idea! Do you think an 18-year-old would read it on his own? I have my doubts... :)
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Nooo... you put the cash inside the book. Tuck it up into the binding so they don't just fall out and scatter them throughout the book. Maybe 5 Tubmans over the duration of the book. Make sure you tell him how rewarding the book can be.

When you see him in a few years, ask him what he thought of the book. If he says "yea.. it was ok" you know he did not read it. But if he laughs, then he did. You can then point out that there is cash inside the book.
 
michaelskis said:
Nooo... you put the cash inside the book. Tuck it up into the binding so they don't just fall out and scatter them throughout the book. Maybe 5 Tubmans over the duration of the book. Make sure you tell him how rewarding the book can be.

When you see him in a few years, ask him what he thought of the book. If he says "yea.. it was ok" you know he did not read it. But if he laughs, then he did. You can then point out that there is cash inside the book.
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He's going to be really mad when it turns out that he donated it to Goodwill without cracking it open! Haha.
 
I'm good with the cash and if you want to somehow be personal, but something nice to go with it like a nice watch or something (sorry, I don't know the people so I'm just throwing out something better than slim jims). Maybe wrap the gift in cash?
 
I did cash for his 16th birthday. It just feels lame and like I didn't put any thought into it. But that's probably the most practical option for now considering the circumstances.
 
It's a variant on the cash, but what about cold hard cash.

cold%20hard%20cash.jpg


My grandmother gave me 21 one dollar bills for my 21st birthday. She said it was for the vending machines or at least I hope that was her rationale.
 
gtpeach said:
I did cash for his 16th birthday. It just feels lame and like I didn't put any thought into it. But that's probably the most practical option for now considering the circumstances.
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It's been all guys so far. Wait until you hear back from LP, dandy_warhol, kjel, and veloise before you give up and decide to go with cash.
 
Cash! Nothing is more appreciated. If you want to add something extra for a nice personal touch, go for it, but cash should be the main thing. It's harder to do the creative "personal touch" aspect if they're not going to college, otherwise there are plenty of tie-ins, such as stuff for their dorm and all kinds of things with the name or logo of their college on it. However, if there's some thing you know they really like, you can go with that angle.

But if they're going into the summer unemployed, cash will hopefully allow them to at least have some fun and be able to live until they find something or figure out what they want to do.
 
Maister said:
It's been all guys so far. Wait until you hear back from LP, dandy_warhol, kjel, and veloise before you give up and decide to go with cash.
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Cash.

And bring some of those yummy roller snacks to the party. I like the southwest siracha ones.
 
Veloise said:
Cash.

And bring some of those yummy roller snacks to the party. I like the southwest siracha ones.
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I have no idea what these are?

Cash it is. Or a gift card. I actually had thought about the gift card for gas before. I'd prefer to get him something useful since I'm pretty sure he'll just blow the cash. But that'll be his choice, I guess. My brother told him if he wasn't going to college, he'd have to work full-time. I could see him going to a trade school at some point. He just needs some time to figure things out. I would just like to do something that sets him up for the future. But I guess that'll have to wait until he figures out what he wants to do. :)
 
gtpeach said:
Cash it is.
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Now you're talkin'
Or a gift card. I actually had thought about the gift card for gas before. I'd prefer to get him something useful since I'm pretty sure he'll just blow the cash. But that'll be his choice, I guess.
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You do realize he's going to have to be one majorly silver-tongued devil to score any hookers & blow with nothing more than a gas card to barter with. No, it would never do. Cash for such transactions is almost always preferred.
 
Maister said:
Now you're talkin'
You do realize he's going to have to be one majorly silver-tongued devil to score any hookers & blow with nothing more than a gas card to barter with. No, it would never do. Cash for such transactions is almost always preferred.
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It'll be a good lesson in ingenuity!
 
When I graduated HS I was given a hand me down 1995 Subaru and told to get a job. I got a job at a warehouse and took that 95 Subaru all over the Northeast on wild punk adventures. being 18 was fun.

Why not team up with your brother and buy the kid a $500 old 199X beater car and let him use it to deliver pizzas or something that will earn him some Guap?

And Speaking of 7/11 hot dogs, best when inebriated. But are literally mystery meat that is full of multiple carcinogens.
 
The Terminator said:
When I graduated HS I was given a hand me down 1995 Subaru and told to get a job. I got a job at a warehouse and took that 95 Subaru all over the Northeast on wild punk adventures. being 18 was fun.

Why not team up with your brother and buy the kid a $500 old 199X beater car and let him use it to deliver pizzas or something that will earn him some Guap?
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It'd be a good idea, but he already has a beater car. And my brother has about four non-functioning cars in his front yard already. Yes, he's one of those people. He's one non-functioning vehicle away from having his own auto graveyard!
 
Maybe go with a gas card and some cash with a nice note to travel, see some of the country, and enjoy some delicious roller food from other states. He's young, he needs to travel and see something.
 
That's an idea. What about a tent and sleeping bag? That's the cheapest way to travel! Of course, it'd probably cost me less to just give him $100!
 
gtpeach said:
That's an idea. What about a tent and sleeping bag? That's the cheapest way to travel! Of course, it'd probably cost me less to just give him $100!
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If he does any hunting or camping that might be a great thing, but the gas card sounds cheaper.
 
I usually do a Target, Home Goods or Amazon gift card - my college student daughter said she can get books cheaper for school off Amazon so those came in handy and the other stores are great for dorm room stuff
 
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