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What do you give for HS graduation?

H and I received a graduation announcement from a girl I grew up babysitting.  Our families are close-ish.  My parents and her grandparents are best friends, so I have spent Thanksgiving with her a number of times because of them.  My H has met her only a handful of times.  How much do you typically give for high school graduation gifts for kids that have this level of closeness with you?  To be honest, the last time I gave anybody a high school graduation gift, I was graduating from high school too.... so I really have no idea what's appropriate.

Side note: I completely forgot that she was graduating this year and left it out of my budget.  H and I are going to try to make up for it next month.

TIA
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Re: What do you give for HS graduation?

  • ta78ta78 member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments Name Dropper 5 Love Its
    I would probably give her $30-40.

    H's niece graduated last year and we gave her $75, they live across the country from us and you are actually probably as close to this girl as we are to his niece, but she is immediate family so we gave her more because of that.

    My H also coaches high school baseball, so we've gotten quite a few graduation cards from players and families he has become close to. I started at $30 the first year when it was just one, but now that we get anywhere from 2-5 I just give them $20. Which I think is fair considering I don't know the kids at all.




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  • Do you have to give money? (Granted I know that's one of the most helpful things to give a college kid). I remember one of my family friends who was a recent college grad put together a dorm survival kit for me and it was awesome (flip flops, hand sanitizer, mini first aid kit, ear plugs, sleeping mask...so great flu for the last two when I ended up with a night-owl roommate)
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • I'd probably give $25-$50, depending on what I could afford at the time. If I knew her taste well enough, I might do it as a gift card. I like Target for graduations because they can use it for fun dorm stuff or practical things if they need to.
  • I would probably go with $25 - it's been forever since I bought graduation gifts as well, which is probably why I would go with a gift card.
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  • $25 sounds good.

    Dh and I are trying to figure this out right now. I have over 30 first cousins and we go in waves for events. Like three weddings so far this year and only one graduation. But next year I think we have three or four graduations.
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  • hoffsehoffse member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    We probably aren't going to do money (my parents are doing that).  I was thinking of getting her one of those small coach coin purses with the key ring attached.  I had one in college for my student ID and dorm key and carried that thing everywhere for 4 years.  I never really carried a large wallet or my keys with me.  She's going to Yale, and it sounds like they have the same set-up that I had.

    We might just go with a gift card.... I don't know.  Those wallets were $40 when I got one in college.  Now they're $48, which is about as high as I want to go:


    On the other hand, just because I used mine all the time (and they were a thing at Vandy - everybody owned one), doesn't mean she will use it at all.
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  • $25-50 depending on what fits for your budget.
  • Vera Bradley makes those key ring things too, that's what I used in college...I wanna say they're less than $20, but it's been 6-7 years since I bought one.
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • hoffsehoffse member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    Gdaisy09 said:
    Vera Bradley makes those key ring things too, that's what I used in college...I wanna say they're less than $20, but it's been 6-7 years since I bought one.
    This is a good idea.  Is Vera Bradley a thing in New England?  I thought it was primarily southern, but I could be totally wrong....

    Kate Spade is having their surprise sale right now, and I can get a larger (similar) thing for $40.  But it doesn't have the key ring on it.  That's half the point...
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  • When I graduated I got lots of $ and flowers from family members. For for situation, maybe get her a giftcard of somesort for $50 (maybe Target?)
  • cbee817cbee817 member
    Ancient Membership 250 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    When I graduated I got lots of $ and flowers from family members. For for situation, maybe get her a giftcard of somesort for $50 (maybe Target?)
    This- Target is always helpful for a college student.
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  • hoffse said:
    Gdaisy09 said:
    Vera Bradley makes those key ring things too, that's what I used in college...I wanna say they're less than $20, but it's been 6-7 years since I bought one.
    This is a good idea.  Is Vera Bradley a thing in New England?  I thought it was primarily southern, but I could be totally wrong....

    Kate Spade is having their surprise sale right now, and I can get a larger (similar) thing for $40.  But it doesn't have the key ring on it.  That's half the point...
    Vera Bradley is a thing here. I have blankets and a beach towels and all sorts of different wallets/purses. I love the id case. They even make one that holds your iphone as well. 

    Anniversary
    Love: March 2010   Marriage: July 2013   Debt Free: October 2014   TTC: May 2015

  • hoffse said:


    Gdaisy09 said:

    Vera Bradley makes those key ring things too, that's what I used in college...I wanna say they're less than $20, but it's been 6-7 years since I bought one.

    This is a good idea.  Is Vera Bradley a thing in New England?  I thought it was primarily southern, but I could be totally wrong....

    Kate Spade is having their surprise sale right now, and I can get a larger (similar) thing for $40.  But it doesn't have the key ring on it.  That's half the point...

    Vera Bradley is a thing here. I have blankets and a beach towels and all sorts of different wallets/purses. I love the id case. They even make one that holds your iphone as well. 

    Agreed. Vera Bradley is huge here. I went to BU and most of my friends had those key ring card holders. Not me-I'll lose anything too small to loop over my shoulder. I think that or the Coach one would both be a wonderful gift! I might just check with her parents that she doesn't already have something similar.

  • When I graduated high school, someone gave me a medicine box.  They put it together themselves with a cute little plastic container, and it had band aids, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, Neosporin, Benadryl, etc. etc.  It was the most helpful thing ever and lasted me all through college.   They wrote a note with it that said something like "For all the headaches that come with living on your own." 
  • Or maybe a nice throw or robe for about $30....
  • don't get a coach one, not for a high schooler
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  • Definitely a thing in NE :) I worked at a little retail store in CT while I was in college, Vera Bradley was our biggest seller
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • hoffsehoffse member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    I live about 0.3 miles from an honest-to-goodness Vera Bradley store.  I love that place.  My H hates it - he says all the patterns EVERYWHERE make his eyes water :)  
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  • cbee817cbee817 member
    Ancient Membership 250 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    hoffse said:
    I live about 0.3 miles from an honest-to-goodness Vera Bradley store.  I love that place.  My H hates it - he says all the patterns EVERYWHERE make his eyes water :)  
    I have to agree with your H. I think the patterns are too old lady- especially when the item is quilted like that... just NMS.
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  • hoffse said:
    I live about 0.3 miles from an honest-to-goodness Vera Bradley store.  I love that place.  My H hates it - he says all the patterns EVERYWHERE make his eyes water :)  
    I'm not a huge Vera Bradley fan myself (I like it for others its just not really "me") but when we went in to exchange a gift once, my H had the same reaction.  It was honestly hilarious-he couldn't stop laughing at how "precious" it was, but at the same time wanted to get the heck out of there ASAP.
  • ta78ta78 member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments Name Dropper 5 Love Its
    cbee817 said:
    hoffse said:
    I live about 0.3 miles from an honest-to-goodness Vera Bradley store.  I love that place.  My H hates it - he says all the patterns EVERYWHERE make his eyes water :)  
    I have to agree with your H. I think the patterns are too old lady- especially when the item is quilted like that... just NMS.
    I feel the same about Vera Bradley. NMS.. and not sure it'd be an 18 year olds either.
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  • hoffsehoffse member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    Yeah, VB is a love it or hate it thing.  I really loved the older patterns - and then they got super popular and started introducing new patterns 4 times a year.  That's when it became a little much.

    It's super popular around here.  Virtually every woman I know over the age of 15 has a full set of luggage made by them. 

    I'm still leaning toward the coach wallet.  It's neutral, in my budget, and I know it will last through 4 years of abuse.  Plus, I would bet $100 that she already has a VB pattern (knowing her mother).  I would have to do some investigative work to discover what it is.
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  • ta78ta78 member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments Name Dropper 5 Love Its
    I really like the yellow coach one.
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  • I have a coach one and i love it. My husband got it at a coach outlet because you can get like 40% off that way. Atleast at all the outlet stores around us you can. I think he paid like 20-30 for it.
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  • hoffsehoffse member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    I have a coach one and i love it. My husband got it at a coach outlet because you can get like 40% off that way. Atleast at all the outlet stores around us you can. I think he paid like 20-30 for it.
    Awesome, I will check our coach outlet and see if they carry them there.  I don't remember seeing them, but I also haven't been looking for them in ages.  We were talking about heading out that way this weekend anyway.  Probably worth checking out.
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  • hoffse said:
    Update: I checked the Coach outlet, and they were running a 50% off sale (excluding clearance)!

    I bought one of those wallets for her.

    Final price after tax: $21.45.  I was super happy with that!  Thanks @KatieCutie for reminding me to check the outlet!

    Great deal!  And, if your budget afforded it, you could always put a $20 Target gift card in the wallet!
  • That's great you got such a great price!  We will soon be getting a coach outlet here as well.  Can't wait.
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  • We only had one this year and it was DH's cousin's kid that he had only met once or twice so we sent $20. Love the wallet idea. I'm sure she will love it.
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