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Health & Fitness

Seeking Part Time Job To Pay for Graduation Parties

Graduation gifts and how much is appropriate to give.

I feel like I should be getting a part time job just to pay for graduation parties again this year.  I'm sure some of you are feeling the same way right about now.  Now that we are almost through this graduation season I was wondering just how many of you have been in the same boat as I have been this year.  HOW MUCH MONEY TO GIVE AS A GIFT TO THE GRADUATE?????

The typical graduation season starts in May and rolls for months till all the parties are done.  Some choose to get them done right away and some choose to give people a breather and hold off till the end of July and even August.  Now don't get me wrong, I love a good grad party and I believe we should all celebrate the good news...after all they earned it!  My dilemma has been just how much money do I give?  How much is enough?  How much is appropriate?  Do I give more if it's family?  Does the amount of years I've known the family or child make a difference in the amount?  What if only adults are invited?  What if only the teenager who's friend it is gets invited?  What if I just don't have it?  How the heck am I coming up with all this money?

Seeing that I'm at that stage in my life when a lot of our friends children have graduated this year we have had a run on grad parties and my hub is starting to think one of us needs a part time job just to give gifts!  I've already had three kids graduate high school in recent years (thankfully no one this year) and have four more to go and then we'll have college grads in there too!

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This conversation came up after a recent college grad party for a friend's child.  We had only met her once.  One woman said she only gave $25 ...it's what she could afford that week.    Another felt she had to give more since her and the Mom are good friends.

We have a few  more grad parties to attend.  (we've attended at least 6 this year + what our kids have attended on their own )  I still owe graduation gifts to 2 nieces who didn't have parties at all.  Their parents were smart and just gave them the money a party would have cost them.  We have decided we are giving what we think we can afford this week.  Not sure how that will go over...you might hear rumors about me being cheap next week but at least I won't regret that I spent the milk money.

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Times are tough for all of us and I'm hoping our friends understand that...if not there is nothing I can do.  While I would like to give hundreds that is not meant to be.  Whatever we give will have to be enough.  All of us are stretching those dollar bills ....mine have started to scream as they are forced from my wallet.

How much do all of you give for graduations?  How the heck do you decide how much to give?  I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you have to say.

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