Gifting Cash

Gifting cash tends to have a bad wrap as impersonal or that it feels like charity. While those are fair arguments, at Tita we do feel that there are a handful of cases, occasions, and relationships where cash gifts are appreciated (as long as they are given to certain recipients and within an appropriate amount). Sounds vague? Don't worry — we'll cover everything in this post.

That said, before we cover how much to give who, first we'll cover in what cases cash is appropriate as a gift.

In What Cases Cash is Appropriate

The following cases our team feels that cash is appropriate as a gift.

When being gifted from an older relative or family friend to someone younger.

At some point of life, we've all gotten cash as a gift from your grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents etc for your birthday or a holiday when we were younger. Did you think it was inappropriate? Our guess is that you were just pumped to add some extra cash to your piggy bank.

Overall we recommend that cash is only appropriate when being gifted from an older relative or family friend to someone younger. Ultimately, when the giver and recipient are closer in age, it tends to seem like charity or insulting and if cash is coming from a person that is outside the realm of family or family friend, the gift may come off as a little creepy. That said, if you have grandchildren or are an established adult and have a niece, nephew, a best friend's child that you want to spoil, cash is a great gift and will be much appreciated for most ages (from when they are as young as 4 or 5 into their twenties and just starting out on their own). In these cases, the sentiment tends to read more that you're sneaking in some extra petty cash for the recipient to spend on themselves or save up for the future.

When being gifted to celebrate a smaller milestone.

If you're debating on what occasions cash is more appropriate to give, we recommend smaller milestones such as when a child is celebrating their religious sacraments (First Communion, Confirmation, etc) or a graduation milestone at school (elementary school, middle school, high school, or college). The one thing to take into account is just not to give too much. While the gift is to the child or someone younger than you, giving too much may cross the boundary of making the parents of the child feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. In these cases, anywhere between $20-$50 dollars is appropriate if the kid or teenager you are giving to is not your own kin.

When being gifted as a stocking stuffer or bonus gift (on top of another gift).

There is one exception we feel is appropriate outside of the two cases mentioned above, and that is if cash is being given as a small add-on or gift stuffer. If you are looking for something to add to your gift because it just doesn't feel like it's enough, money is a great little bonus to add somewhere in the gift as a surprise. Many people add cash to stocking stuffers or as hidden gifts in a pocket of a bag, empty tin containers, or other fun secret compartments that the recipient discovers later.

We recommend this especially for gifts being given for Secret Santa, Workplace Gift Exchanges, or even to friends as a fun gimmick.

In Conclusion

All in all, if you're thinking of doing something nice for someone younger and close to you, cash is a great gift. There are, of course, always exceptions. These recommendations are coming from our team's personal experience, but you know the recipient best and it's your gift so you'll make the ultimate call!

P.S. Wondering about wedding gifts? We're writing a separate post about that, coming soon.