18th birthday money | Gransnet (2024)

FAQs

How much cash to give for an 18th birthday? ›

If you're planning to give cash for an 18th birthday, the amount depends on your relationship with the birthday person and your budget. Close family members, on average, give somewhere between $50 and $200, while friends and other family members typically give between $20 and $50.

$25 is the ideal amount of money to spend on a gift for a classmate or friend. When it comes to buying birthday gifts for other kids, experts agree that $25 is the sweet spot—no matter the relationship. You can't go wrong if you spend around $20 to $30, says Porter.

It appears that the general amount for a birthday celebration is around $25, no matter the relationship. Money etiquette experts suggest spending $10 to $20 for classmates while expanding the budget to $25 for close friends, $50 for relatives and upwards of $100 for your own children. Ever heard of a Fiver party?

Kid's friends, $20-25: It's unlikely you'd have your kindergartner give a $20 bill to a friend, but this is still a helpful guide if you want to give a gift card or gift certificate. Relatives, $50: You can spend a little more for birthdays of relatives, like nieces or nephews. But you don't need to be extravagant.

If it's a co-worker or a distant friend, TheKnot.com recommends guests give at least $75-$100 on the wedding present. If your guest is a relative or a friend, the wedding website suggests somewhere between $100 and $125. But what kind of gift can you expect?

Close Friend

You don't want to under or overspend (although it's probably always better to spend a bit more than a bit less). On average, spending $25-$75 on a close friend is a good rule of thumb. Although you might want to spend closer to the $25 mark if you plan on giving gifts to two or three close friends.

"Money is an appropriate gift," says etiquette expert Elaine Swann, founder of The Swann School of Protocol. "Studies say that it is the most welcomed gift—the one gift that most people want." But gifting money has a lot of questions around it. How much money can you gift to your family?

According to a survey from BabyCenter of more than 5,000 parents, one in four reported spending at least $500 on their child's first birthday party alone. While a majority spent $200 or less, 11 percent admitted to spending more than $500.

Giving money to friends and family. Whether it's a birthday gift or helping a friend when they need it most, gifting comes from the heart. You may want to give as much as you can but you need to understand the exemptions you're entitled to.

Is $150 dollars a good birthday gift? ›

In our opinion, $150 is like the magic number because for that amount you can certainly find something on the fancier end of the spectrum, but it's not such a high price tag that you may make the recipient feel uncomfortable.

For co-workers, casual friends and your children's teachers, stay in the $10 to $20 range. Gift cards for close friends and family members can range from $25 to $100. When you're selecting a gift card for a spouse, parent or someone else who's very special, choose a card worth $75 or more.

But if it's a birthday gift for a close friend or family member—or for a milestone birthday, like turning 18 or 75—it's not uncommon to spend in the $50 to $100 range.

Typically, an average gift amount will be no less than $50. That amount will increase if you have a closer relationship with the family, or if you're helping to pay for part of the party.

The gift card amount people purchase depends mainly on their budget. According to a survey conducted on over 1000 participants, more than 40% said they would spend between $20- $25 on Birthday Gift Cards. This is to say that most people will spend an average of $25 on Birthday Gift Cards.

Depends upon a household budget surely, not sure there would be a normal. We put away money monthly since birth and they recieved it on their 18th. I'd say for a special Birthday such as 18th around £500 if affordable.

It's fine. So if there's a wedding, graduation, rite of passage, or holiday on the horizon, and cash is what you want or need, please know that—as a bona fide expert in gift-giving etiquette! —I am telling you it's fine just to say so.

Possibly one of the most common traditional 18th birthday gifts of all time is money. This traditional gift might be as simple as a stack of crisp bills or some thoughtfully selected gift cards to help cover practical items like gas or groceries or fun extras such as restaurants, movie tickets or streaming services.