I'm a fairly hard person to buy for. I don't really need anything per se, and I don't buy a whole lot for myself, but if cornered in a dark alley, I'll let it slip that I don't mind cash.
My father-in-law asked me one year what I wanted for Christmas, because all he could really think of was cash. I responded, “And cash is bad because … ?” And he said, “Well, just giving cash seems a little crass.”
And I suppose it is. Occasionally we have collections for special occasions at work: someone has a baby on the way, someone's getting married, or we want to thank the cleaning crew at Christmastime. Though a gift card is really more or less the same thing as cash, it seems much more thoughtful than just stuffing all of the ones and fives in an envelope with a card. The cash is easier to spend, but it seems less like a gift and more like a handout.
But there are cool ways to give cash — ways that show some thought and don't have the appearance of a handout:
- Presidential dollar coins. I think these things are cool. Hey, they're only a few cents' worth of metal, but they're really shiny fresh out of the roll. Or, left in the roll, they might be worth another buck or two sold uncirculated to a dealer. Once in a while there may be a mint error that could be worth hundreds of dollars.
- Quarters. I was an arcade fiend when I was in middle school so quarters were always a welcome gift. Maybe throw in a state quarters map for fun, now that they're all out in circulation. It's handy to have a few quarters in your pocket for emergencies. An example: suppose you're out with your young child who is still in diapers. You end up one diaper short near the end of the day, and you're no place close to where you can buy one. If you manage to find a bathroom, often they'll have a diaper vending machine if they have a changing table, but it usually only takes quarters. I'd be glad I had a few at that point.
- Nickels and cents. For that friend on your Christmas list looking to hedge against inflation with physical copper.
- Uncirculated anything. I managed to get an uncirculated roll of 1995 Kennedy half dollars for face value at the credit union recently. Uncirculated is more vaulable than circulated, but it's never less valuable than face value.
- Two-dollar bills. I'm giving a few of these this year.
- Currency origami. Turn dollars into boxes, or other stuff. We've done this before.
- Inside another gift. Like inside a mug, or pinned carefully in the pocket of a pair of pants.
I don't care how you wrap it, I can't see cash being a nice gift no matter what the circumstances. If the other person "needs it" it's embarrassing. Anything else just comes across as "I didn't put in the time/effort to find a better/appropriate gift, so sorry, here is cash."
The Origami almost overcomes this but if I got that I'd be appalled.
Writer's Coin: What about, "Here is some cash. Spend it how you want, or save it for something else. Do what you want with it! Enjoy! Merry Christmas!"
We'll probably agree to disagree on whether cash is a good gift or not, but I know for one I've never, ever been offended when I've received cash.
@ Writer's Coint – I think cash can be a great gift. Young people especially appreciate getting money as a gift. It's not really any different than a gift card and its a lot more flexible.
I like the idea about the $2 bill. I still have a $2 bill that I got from my Grandmother when I was only 5 years old. I treasure it to this day.
Red Envelope! Not the website, the actual envelope. I love that part of our culture where it's perfectly fine to give cash (or checks) as gifts. It's not expected, necessarily, depending on your generation I guess, but it's perfectly ok. I usually prefer to give a nice thoughtful gift, but there are times when I just don't know what the kids like and want these days. 🙂