That sound good.

It depends on how well I know someone and the son or daughter who is graduating. If I know them well, for HS I will give as much as $100. Otherwise $50.

Depends on how well you know them. $25 for a token gift.

We knew a family for about a year, and we got invited to the graduation party. We gave the graduate $50.

Since there are two of you I think $50 is a bit low. That’s jist $25 apiece. But as others have said, it depends upon how close you are.

I think we decided the middle is a safe place and are giving him $75.

We had 2 nephews and a niece graduate high school this year. They each got $50. Typically do $100 for college graduation.

I understand, though, that you need a practical answer to this question so here is a side bar: You give what you can. A friend of mine said of her gift that was considered too low by some "observers" -- "If they can't use 50 dollars, then I can."

Yes, give what you can. At a high-school graduation party recently I gave my great-nephew $25. I didn't feel bad at all when he opened the card with $300 in it. He hugged me just as hard.

I am about ready to send out a card with $20 in it to a shirt'tail relative that I have never seen, nor do I know the mother of the graduate. I do know the grandmother but have not seen her in years.

Thanks everyone. We just got back from the graduation party. We gave him $75. I figured it was middle ground and it just might cover the cost of a book for college. Marylmi I think $20 is fine for someone you hardly know. I few years ago when we first moved in the neighbor at the end of our road invited us to their sons high school graduation party. We never met the kid. We stopped down, had a drink to be neighborly and gave him $25. We didn't stay long.

I think $50.00 is good for high school, and one hundred for college. This reminds me of the time when our granddaughter graduated from high school and college. We gave her $500.00 for high school graduation, and bought her a used car of her choice, for college graduation we gave her $5,000. We neither got an acknowledgement of a thank you or a note that she liked what we did for her. It hurt badly. But when she got married we downsized the gift giving to her and only gave her a kitchenaid mixer and food processor. We still did not get a thank you! She told her brother that Mimi and Poppy were being stingy in the gift giving. Her brother Christian has always thanked us for EveryThing we have ever done for him. Why should I want a thank you? Maybe some of you ask. Because I know they liked what we gave them and it just feels good to know you pleased them.

Right with you, Thistledew. Shame on her. Stingy? Huh??? Sounds like an "affluenza attitude" to me. So very sad. I'd be inclined to be more generous to Christian, with the explanation if asked (not that you owe anyone any) that he's made it clear that he appreciates what you've done for him and you must, certainly, have not done what makes HER happy (tongue in cheek).

thistledown: i agree... of course you should be thanked!! if not for anything, out of respect whether DGD likes/appreciates the gift or not!! It should be done because its the right thing to do.

i would be hurt if a gift of that magnitude did not get acknowledged.

It seems these days that a lot of kids have the attitude of entitlement and aren't taught that any gift deserves a thank you. Doesn't matter the amount.

My advice is Never, Ever try to make up to your children for the things that you never had as a child. They start thinking they are more important and have a sense of entitlement. They will teach their children the same as You have done and there the cycle will begin. I regret that!

I used to send checks for birthdays, back when you used checks! If I didn't even get a thank you in the memo of the check it was their last one.

thistledown, could not agree more!!! i go as far as not worrying about the "same amount" of Christmas gifts. they are older now and i say "sometimes i just see more for one than the others". i worry about making it even, never have. don't get me wrong, there is not a big discrepancy but there always is, for one reason or another....

terilyn, we sent out a couple of gift cards to grads a year or so back. Never got an acknowledgment of the gift. We don’t even know if the card made it there or was pilfered in the mail. We’ve switched back to checks. At least we can tell if they’re cashed.