Most everyone in my family seems to prefer cash. Some things I've done that might give you ideas: - one year my parents wanted new wallpaper so I got lots of bills in smaller denominations and taped them together into a long sheet that was wrapped around a cardboard tube, just like wallpaper. They loved it! - my niece is an artist so I bought a nice frame and framed the money in it - my nephew said he only wanted money one year, so I made an origami shirt from a single bill and put it into a jewelry box. I told him all he was getting from me was a shirt. :o) I thought they were cute ideas and I had a lot of fun doing them. Maybe you have some notion of things they like and you can be creative that way? From a more practical perspective, you could buy something like a wallet or phone carrying case and give the $$ inside it. This post was edited by party_music50 on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 21:14

Like I said above, it's just a personal preference/reaction, but I always felt cash gifts said "we didn't put any thought into this." My late mother-in-law always gave me generous cash gifts, but I always wished she had bought something instead. I used to take the cash to Tiffany's and buy a piece of jewelry and then tell people, "My mother-in-law gave me this." Only technically true, I guess, but it felt so much better to me than saying, "My mother-in-law gave me the money to buy this." Unfortunately, it's all moot now since my jewelry got stolen years ago. :-( I should add that for certain recipients, like teenagers and college students, cash is probably the most appreciated gift of all. This post was edited by alisande on Thu, Nov 20, 14 at 12:47

Most of my kids and grandkids live far away,so buying presents for birthdays and holidays entails exorbitant shipping charges. SOOO, rather than gift cards, to fit in a greeting card envelope, I switched to cold hard cash -- right size, etc. The grands save gift money to buy computer games, etc. And to personalize it, I learned (am still learning) to do origami with the money. I do shirts and pants and bowties and hearts and stars. I've done 4 attempts at a cat, but it keeps ending up looking like an armadillo. :-( And the dollar sign and arrow didn't happen for recent birthdays. I need more practice. . . .

Gifts are good to give out to others due to they can be used for shopping at stores for only they can know and buy what they like. Grocery gift cards are a good one too, in fact if grandparents are doing the cooking all the time for these expensive meals, I see them here and that is a huge cost for them, help them by giving them gift cards for those and not break their budget or go without after its all over, food has become hugely expensive and hard to buy at times. Gas gift cards for those driving cars. Restaurants, book stores, there are such a variety of gift cards that can be bought and what they like and can choose what they like themselves. But think of ones you are giving gift cards and will they use them as all many not like them or not go out and about to use them. I caught this show where they were talking about gift cards and one loves them so much for everything from going to movies, to food, to gas, to shopping all those things to do. Another said she has a huge pile of them and hates them, feels they are a unthought gift. Another said she likes to actually open up a gift given. I tried that with my brother and sil years ago as I couldn't afford their expensive taste so thought I would give card where they shopped back then and they hated them said that is an unthought gift. There are many that are hard to buy for and you give up then as they aren't happy with anything. I would love to have something like grocery gift card, bookstore gift card, for me those are useful and great gifts to have but I have no one to give anything like that to me except if I do it to myself. LOL kathy