Cash/Check Gift Etiquette - Page 2

FM-SMSPLC · 02-25-2008, 08:57 AM

Unless it was something entirely inappropriate - such as the $2500 gift mentioned earlier - I would cash the check. I think you risk hurting the gift-giver's feelings if you don't, and they probably wouldn't have given you the money in the first place if they couldn't afford it. I also wouldn't worry about the fact that they only gave it as a "formality," since we all often end up giving a gift or two merely as a formality - e.g., for a colleague's new baby, child's birthday or special occasion, etc.

If the gift is given to a very young child, I think the best thing to do is either put it in a savings account or use that money to buy something for the child (clothes, toys, books, etc.).

Bottom line: don't make assumptions about the gift-giver's intentions or insult them by returning the gift, and ALWAYS send a gracious thank-you note letting the sender know what you used or will use the money for.

BamaRo · 02-26-2008, 10:11 AM

I would cash it. And probably use it and write a thank you telling what I used it for. My MIL gave me a check for our son one Christmas that I chose to put in his savings account rather than buying him a gift. She was *not* happy and I've used his Christmas from her every year since to buy him something and be sure to tell her what it was. She wasn't mean or rude about it but I got the message...of course that's just our family. Someone else may not have cared.

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02-25-2008, 08:57 AM	#11
FM-SMSPLC Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Reputation: (10)	Unless it was something entirely inappropriate - such as the $2500 gift mentioned earlier - I would cash the check. I think you risk hurting the gift-giver's feelings if you don't, and they probably wouldn't have given you the money in the first place if they couldn't afford it. I also wouldn't worry about the fact that they only gave it as a "formality," since we all often end up giving a gift or two merely as a formality - e.g., for a colleague's new baby, child's birthday or special occasion, etc. If the gift is given to a very young child, I think the best thing to do is either put it in a savings account or use that money to buy something for the child (clothes, toys, books, etc.). Bottom line: don't make assumptions about the gift-giver's intentions or insult them by returning the gift, and ALWAYS send a gracious thank-you note letting the sender know what you used or will use the money for.

02-26-2008, 10:11 AM	#12
BamaRo Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 31 Reputation: (10)	I would cash it. And probably use it and write a thank you telling what I used it for. My MIL gave me a check for our son one Christmas that I chose to put in his savings account rather than buying him a gift. She was not happy and I've used his Christmas from her every year since to buy him something and be sure to tell her what it was. She wasn't mean or rude about it but I got the message...of course that's just our family. Someone else may not have cared.