Some people feel uncomfortable giving cash as a gift. That was never a problem in my family. In every Italian-American family wedding I’ve been to, the bride carries around a little purse just for the purpose. The envelopes get oohed and ahhed over more than does the sauce maker or the set of bed sheets.
I do understand, however, that many people aren’t comfortable giving cash. They often opt for gift cards instead. A recent survey shows that people like getting gift cards, too. According to the 2012 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey, about six out of ten people would like to get a gift card as a gift during the holidays. That is up from last year.
Gift cards are great, because they allow the gift recipient to purchase anything they like from a particular store. The question I have is, if gift cards are great, might not cash be better? After all, the recipient of a gift card already know exactly how much money you spent on the card, right?
Cash comes without restrictions or fees, and you know that the chances of it actually being used are high. It probably won’t get stored away somewhere in a drawer to be forgotten. Cash can be used anywhere and for practically anything. It won’t be returned for being the wrong size or color.
You can use cash to get that new movie you wanted, or apply it toward your mortgage. It is up to you. Plus, cash never expires, and you don’t have to worry about a particular store going out of business or changing a policy that renders it useless.
Cash also doesn’t require you to go out and shop, unless it is for a greeting card or envelop into which the cash goes. It is the perfect last minute gift.
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