How to give money?

[rolloverbeethoven]

I often seem to buy the wrong thing for DS - I could probably write a page or two about my Christmas gift blunders, and I dread seeing them coming up on the "worst gift ever" threads. So I've decided this year to wrap a few sweets and clothes, but give money for his main present. Only - just transferring the cash seems a little cold and unfestive. I've thought of giving a nice card with a little message in it saying how much I've transferred, but does anyone have a better idea? I think that banks have missed a trick actually, they could send a nice Christmassy email to the recipient to tell them, and charge the giver a small percentage couldn't they? Anyway, ideas gratefully received. 🎄 🎁

I don’t know how much money you’re gifting and if cash is an option instead?
When I was a teen, my mum and dad gave me £100 for Christmas one year in cash.
They got a huge cardboard box from a supermarket and wrapped it up with the money inside it in an envelope! It was really funny and something I’ll always remember as there was this huge gift wrapped up for me under the tree and I genuinely couldn’t work out what it could be as I’d asked for money.

If you’re planning on a bank transfer you could make a little ‘gift voucher’ to print and put in a card maybe.

When DC were teens and asked for cahs, Iused ot go online to look for inventive ways to give it. Boxes with secret compartments; weird Japanese money folding orgiami techniques; inside a decorated shoebox etc.
If you are wiring the money to their accounts, you could print out an old-fashioned looking scroll that says you have transferred X amount to be spent on ... and list some of their favourite things. Then wrap the scroll up like a big Christmas cracker. Or get a cheap tee shirt printed: 'my mum wired me money for Christmas, so all I got was this lousy tee shirt' if your family go in for that kind of humour.

How old is he? If he's a teenager, then I'm fairly sure he will not care about about the un-festive nature of it.

Why give him money when you could go to John Lewis and make him a disco room? He will be forever grateful 😂

He's older, and I want to give him a sizeable amount towards a holiday, so the inventive ways of giving cash aren't practical, but thank you all for the ideas.

Well if I ever want him to go NC I'll keep that in mind!

A nice card with a message is probably the best option. I still use cheques for this purpose but know transferring significant sums is much safer.

I actually found a VERY OLD cheque book and wrote a fake cheque, put it in a nice personalized money envelope from Etsy, with a "money will be transferred to your bank" note on the cheque.

All good ideas thank you so much everyone. I'm very into diamond art at the moment and I'm thinking of making one of the cards and putting the amount inside in gems, I think that would look pretty. Except I'm a bit of a klutz, it might just look like a mess (albeit a sparkly one!)

We transfer the money and give a card with a “check your account” message.

How to give money? Reluctantly.

Depends how much you want to give...

£100 for example I have given small gifts and wrapped a cash note with each gift. I have also blown up balloons with confetti in and shoved a cash note in each balloon.

This was when kids were teens though. This year I might write them a cheque as they won't know what that is 🤣

Boots do great 3 for 2 offers.

What i do not d give a nice card with a printed receipt of rhe transaction and maybe add a gift card fpr coffee shop or whatever he enjoys

I hate giving money, but I once got my son and DIL restaurant vouchers and put them in a box that couldn't be opened until they'd solved various clues. That made it more of a present, and was fun.

This sort of thing.