How early is too early to start cutting checks to my niece instead of getting her a present? She turns 3 in a few weeks.

10/22/2010 10:11:05 AM

does she even have a bank account?

10/22/2010 10:14:16 AM

Giving money is a nice gesture, esp. if the parents are putting it in a bank account for her to enjoy later on but a 3 yr. old wants a toy/doll, not a check.

10/22/2010 10:16:20 AM

We've been gifting savings bonds to our god-daughter every year since she was born.

10/22/2010 10:17:15 AM

Quote :

"does she even have a bank account? "

first, consider your audience

10/22/2010 10:19:09 AM

Damn, I forgot about this.
I'm always struggling to get my nephews a cool gift that they don't already have...
But cash is awesome -- I always loved getting cash.

Quote :

"does she even have a bank account?"

Yeah, cash is better. Get those cards that are designed to hold bills.

(Fuck VISA gift cards. Don't contribute to banking oligopolies.)


gold > cash > money orders > checks > gift cards

10/22/2010 10:19:43 AM

if I get her gold, I'll be supporting Glenn Beck

10/22/2010 10:22:06 AM

Quote :

"if I get her gold, and support the 2-party system, I'll be supporting Glenn Beck"

Fixed it for you.

Quote :

"but a 3 yr. old wants a toy/doll, not a check"

Yeah. Gifts are better until about 7 or 8.

A lot of times, parents won't even let the kid spend gift money, forcing them to save it instead.
Because that's what a kid wants for their birthday, a lesson... lol

10/22/2010 10:23:15 AM

my mom still calls me and says "i got this for you to give your neice for her bday" and then i'll say "cool, how old is she again?"

10/22/2010 10:26:27 AM

get them bonds dog

then they'll mature when she's in college so she can blow it on burnettes raspberry vodka, sprite, and morning after pills

10/22/2010 10:28:00 AM

^^
Damn, I got the opposite.

I forgot a birthday (until the actual day,) and was like, "Will you get something really quick?", and she didn't.
I had to give a late b-day gift....
:/

Quote :

"bonds"

What a horrible, horrible gift.
Go ahead and get bonds and set them aside to give to high school or college graduates,
but DO NOT give children bonds. They do not want that.

10/22/2010 10:30:59 AM

personally i know that when my sister has kids there will be so many people dumping toys in their lap that missing one toy will be negligible.

i plan to give them money to put into a college fund or graduation fund.
probably buy something small to go with it every now and then though.

10/22/2010 10:35:40 AM

i hated getting bonds. i never understood why you'd buy them as a little kid and actually i have no clue where that money is now. nothing like being handed a wrapped shirt box at christmas, so you're already disappointed that you're getting clothes, only to open it and find a bond. worst gift ever.

if you want to contribute to their savings, at least buy a small toy to go with the money/bond.

10/22/2010 10:36:50 AM

the way I see it is that I could go to Toys R Us and buy her a doll or some silly bandz or a few coloring books and that would be all well and good

or I could cut a check and my sister can get her something that she knows she wants

10/22/2010 10:44:26 AM

Quote :

"...when she's in college so she can blow it on burnettes raspberry vodka, sprite, and morning after pills"

Hopefully by then, laws will have changed so that we may buy those items conveniently already mixed in a single bottle.

Quote :

"i hated getting bonds. ... worst gift ever."

Quoted for truth.

[Edited on October 22, 2010 at 10:47 AM. Reason : ]

10/22/2010 10:46:19 AM

lol my niece turned 7 and I just sent a card with a pack of hello kitty stickers in it, I must be a terrible aunt

10/22/2010 10:48:52 AM

HOW DARE YOU CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR NIECES HAPPINESS AND NOT HER FUTURE FINANCES!!!!!!!!!!1

10/22/2010 10:50:39 AM

I liked getting bonds when I was little, because I thought I was getting twice as much money as what I would have gotten in cash. I felt like bonds also taught me to be somewhat responsible with setting aside money. I only cashed a couple of them in college because I was fortunate with scholarships and jobs, so I still have a stack of them sitting in my safe now that are over 25 years old. They're probably only earning about 1% interest currently, so maybe now would be a good time to cash them in and find some other investment form.

10/22/2010 11:12:56 AM

i, too, have some bonds sitting around i need to cash in.

thanks grannie

10/22/2010 11:14:20 AM

10/22/2010 11:16:48 AM

She is not gonna remember this birthday anyway just get her a load of stuff from dollar tree.

It will look like you went all out when in truth you spent like 15.00.

10/22/2010 11:26:48 AM

I am the head of the PPL GIVE GIFT CARDS AND MONEY FOR PRESENTS WAY TOO DAMN MUCH PARTY.

Please buy them a real present and give them a gift receipt for option to return it. It's the thought that counts but if you really think about them and do your homework, they'll never have to use the gift receipt.

that's the ideology of gift giving

10/22/2010 11:34:00 AM

it's not like my niece is going to hop on her tricycle and take the gift and the gift receipt back to Toys R Us and swap it out for something she likes better

isn't getting her a crappy, fill-in present, just for the sake of getting her a present, about the same as giving her money? either way, she's going to pick out something she likes

10/22/2010 11:37:41 AM

Yes it's the same if you don't put any thought into her.

Why the hell even give her anything at all if you don't care enough to spend 30 minutes of your time doing the deed?

[Edited on October 22, 2010 at 11:40 AM. Reason : .]

10/22/2010 11:40:11 AM

Quote :

"Why the hell even give her anything at all if you don't care enough to spend 30 minutes of your time doing the deed?"

Some people have huge families, and may not know their various nieces/nephews that well.


a toy they love >>>>>>> cash >>>>>> a toy they hate

10/22/2010 11:45:02 AM

if they are that far removed, just call them up and wish them happy birthday. no sense in going into financial ruin and scheduling conflict for someone u don't know much about or care about

10/22/2010 11:47:17 AM

^
Because everything is absolute, and nothing is relative.

Quote :

"just call them up and wish them happy birthday"

Wow. See the above sentence.

a toy they love >>>>>>> cash >>>>>> a toy they hate >>>>>> a phone call

10/22/2010 11:55:15 AM

$20 = financial ruin

10/22/2010 11:58:14 AM

Call them at 12:00:01 and be the first to tell them happy birthday.
Then they can't claim you don't care about them AND you save your money.


Can't lose.

10/22/2010 12:00:12 PM

a toy they love >>>>>>> cash >>>>>> a toy they hate >>>>>> a phone call>>>> a phone call at midnight

10/22/2010 12:02:26 PM

Strip-o-gram

At their school

They'll be kingshit all the way thru graduation

10/22/2010 12:05:46 PM

Quote :

"a toy they love >>>>>>> cash >>>>>> a toy they hate >>>>>> a phone call>>>> a phone call at midnight"

The logic is directionally flawed according to the perspective of the gift giver.

10/22/2010 12:13:54 PM

This thread is

10/22/2010 12:22:25 PM