s/o gift cards: I am asking again if I can just give cash

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

Most people are decent and take any gift in the spirit it's meant.

The Western world does not think actual bills is an appropriate gift. They are only appropriate as a tip. In Japan and other Asian cultures, bills are perfectly acceptable for Holidays and special occasions but only if clean and packaged in dedicated envelopes. In Japan, where I come from, there are specially decorated envelopes for each occasion. You can only use new bills. It's a very codified system.

Don't agonize over this. Just do what you can.

Their is a codified system of gift giving in India too. We too have specially decorated envelopes, new crisp bills and the gift amount usually ends with a 1. So, it is considered auspicious to give $11, $21, $51, $101, $151, $201, $501, $1001 etc. Cash gifts are to be given by holding the envelopes in both hands, or from your right hand while the left hand should be touching the right forearm or right wrist, with a slight bow. Palms facing up. (Palms facing down is like giving alms or tips, palms facing up means it is an offering).

I always give cash gifts to all teachers and coaches in special envelopes. And I also give them a card with a thoughtful personal note, plus I send the same verbiage in email and cc the principal. I think I can get away from this cash giving because it is obviously the traditional custom of the gift giver.

At the end of the day, I feel that if your student is a good student who does their work diligently, doesn't create disruption in the classroom and treat their teacher and fellow students with respect, then they are making the work day of the teacher pleasant. If you are not trying to "curry" favors from the teacher. or your kid was not the nightmare kid, they do not have a problem in accepting cash envelopes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but I find it weird and give gift cards.

Ugh, please don’t. I hate gift cards. I have a stack of probably 30 of them. They never get used, get sorted to the bottom of purse, eventually taken out and added to the growing pile. My 7 yr old plays with them now

Spend them or regift them.

That’s the thing, it passes the burden onto me to remember to put them in my purse, remember what stores they are for, remember to use that specific card when I happen to be at that specific store. Or I have to take to the time to look up organisations that will take them as donations, drive there to donate. I just don’t want to be bothered at this point. Spending my $10 Coldstone gift card just isn’t on my list of things to do

Oh that’s so hard. What a burden.

They are. You may not go to that store frequently, it may be out of your way, you may forget you have the gift card to begin with, you may want something less than the value so now you are stuck buying things you don’t really need to use the whole amount (plus so of your own), otherwise you have to keep hanging on to the gift card and remember to use up the remainder on it and what that remainder is. They are just a hassle. Even the Amazon ones are a hassle. I can place an amazon order on my phone in seconds. But it use a gift card I have to find a coin, scratch of the foil, put in some 20 digit number (that inevitably takes a couple tries), and then configure a second payment since it likely isn’t going to be an exact amount/or continue to hang on to card if there is money left. Please give cash or just a note, or nothing. I’d rather have nothing than yet another gift card. Really

[Anonymous]

Of course.

[Anonymous]

I think cash as a group gift from the class or PTA is acceptable. As an individual gift, end of year gift, it feels out of place. I have given cash to a special teacher on her retirement - many years after I was her student.

My summer vacation budget is expanded by gift cards, it's not that hard.