How much money for child’s 18th gift?

[Cat40plus]

Help a newbie please. Having a debate around how much to gift eldest on upcoming 18th birthday (alongside some bits to open). Not saving for a car, computer etc so suspect may go on clothes and ‘stuff’. DH thinks this shouldn’t change how much we gift but I’m not sure. I feel £200 is about right but he feels it should be more - to be fair we can afford to go higher but it feels a lot to me. I know it’s very personal but would appreciate any thoughts!

That's awful, I'm so sorry they didn't appreciate you.
I wish I could give you a gift 💐

I think I’ll buy a piece of jewellery and give £100. Normal birthday would just be a piece of jewellery.

I spent around £300 on mine, the last was in 2015. I was a LP. Some people give big on the 21st. I'd be looking to give at least £500. That could include the gifts to open.

I really appreciate the range of replies being shared. Thank you.

Yes, will have ctf which will probably go away towards uni. Meeting in the middle is a good thought!

Ctf here too which was about £10k the last time I checked. Like you they don’t need anything OP. I give £150 a month pocket money and they earn £70 a week.

I just don’t feel like I want to give a large chunk of cash for nothing.

Id hate a dress watch. I was given one as a parting gift when I left one job. It was lovely but I never wore it and I don’t even know where it is.
Unless it is a new Apple Watch/smart watch - I wouldn’t give one.

How much would you normally spend on her birthday in previous years?

I guess it depends. Maybe £100-£150 ish depending on if there’s been a particular ‘main’ present.

We spent £250 on a private number plate, which is all that was asked for for DD1.

DD2 was given Clogau jewellery

Goodness. When I turned 18, forty years ago, I got something that cost £35.

Ha my 18th, I was driving (!) for a night out to celebrate with friends and I crashed into my neighbours van as I was leaving my drive.
So the cash my parents were gonna give me they had to give our neighbour to fix the door as way cheaper than insurance claims etc approx £150 - they had saved to give me that… so yeah silly me !

I gave my son £1000 plus some gifts to open. He’s saving all his money for his future so was happy to give more for a big birthday. My eldest is 30 in 2wks and as he’s working won’t give him money but I’ve got some gifts and will pay for a trip to Greenland next year. I usually go a fair bit higher for the big bdays, 18, 30 etc.

We took started bonds for ours when they were born that matured when they were 18, so they both got a nice big lump of money at 18.

We bought both children their forever musical instruments. Carrying on the family tradition as that was what both DH and I received for our eighteenth.

I bought her a beautiful little engraved bird neclace plus a little shopping trip. She was over the moon. I think giving cash is not appropriate for an 18th. Plus we will be paying her accommodation costs next year for a while.

So you have spent 0 on her 18th? Wow

We have ours his Child Trust Fund which we had saved for over the years so was a nice sum. We took him out for a meal on the day itself which was what he wanted and then I got him 18 things beginning with the first letter of his name - some nice designer stuff, some jokey x

Can you open an ISA or LISA with him on his birthday and put some of the money in there? Encourage him not to withdraw that money and save it, but give him £100 to spend on the random stuff?

We did some Tiffany earrings in her birthstone, some other little bits to open and then £1000 to contribute towards her spends when she went travelling. She added whatever was in her trust fund but we never put anything in it and to be honest I forgot all about it until she went to uni and her housemates were all talking about it! Think there was about £500 in there which was some nice bonus unexpected cash for her. She came back from
her adventures with about £10 😂
We have a massive family and all nieces and nephews are totally spoiled by everyone on their birthdays.
This year another of my dc turns 18, they will get the same value either in presents, experiences or money, probably a combination of the 3.

DS will get £1000 for his 18th later this year (same as DD got). We will also get him something extra to remember.

DD recently turned 18 and got a new gaming PC set up. It cost around 3 grand BUT is essential in her new career so felt like money well spent.
I honestly don't think there is a right or wrong amount. I certainly didn't receive anything like that value when I was 18 (my parents were not well off) but I appreciated what I got so much because they had really thought about what I would like and my personality. It meant so much.

My DS is turning 18 in a few weeks. We've bought him a second hand watch from eBay for £1k. We wanted him to have something that he could keep forever.

We have told him that his child trust fund has to be kept for when he starts Uni next year.

For DD we are planning on getting her a Tiffany necklace with a tiny diamond that is around £1k.

Your DH is correct. You're giving the money to your son to mark the fact that he's an adult, and because he is an adult, he doesn't need to spend it on something pre-approved by mummy and daddy. Just because you see 'stuff' as a waste, that doesn't mean your son does and it doesn't mean he shouldn't be able to enjoy spending the money on whatever he chooses.

I give each of my nieces and nephews £100 for their 18th birthdays and I've absolutely no idea what they might have spent it on. If I had to guess, I'd say oldest niece put it towards something sensible, oldest nephew frittered it away in minutes on showy cocktails, second nephew spent it on petrol, and second niece spent it on trainers. Third nephew is 18 in a couple of months and I would stake my life on him spending it on football stuff.