Graduation gift recommendation?

[MorningGlow]

Hey all--my niece is graduating from college in early June. I am skittish about giving her a check as a graduation present, because I'm quite certain that it will go straight to a bartender's hot little hands to pay for raft of mojitos in Vegas. I still want to give her money (instead of a gift card or "things"); is there any other way? Do people still give savings bonds or something similar? :shrug:

[HopeHoops]

1. If she has ANY interests at all that you are aware of, search eBay.

It is amazing what you can find.

On Edit: It does sound like money is a bad idea.

[MorningGlow]

2. Alas, she has none

A more vapid young woman I've never had the misfortune to be related to, I'm sorry to report. I love her dearly, but...she is a chick in search of a personality.

My mom already bought her a nice piece of jewelry, so I can't do that. And I don't mind giving her money--just not in a form that she can blow in one weekend.

[HopeHoops]

3. A case of ramen noodles would probably do just fine.

[Bucky]

4. I dunno -- gift cards are pretty awesome. Does she have a job yet?

A box of personalized calling cards she could circulate at networking & job fairs or paperclipped to resumes. Something with her degree & experience on it.

If she does have a job lined up, then just personalized calling cards would be unique, but with a mroe social/artistic flair (rainbows arching over unicorns or something). I'm just spitballin' here.

[MorningGlow]

6. Job? Yeah--working for dad

When she's not at the beach, that is. :P

[struggle4progress]

5. Maserati? Case of strawberry-flavored condoms? Municipal bond that matures

twenty-five years from now? Fruit-of-the-month club membership? Time share in a Swiss chateau? Subscription to the Revolutionary Communist Party's newsletter? Some Krugerrands? Chocolate bunnies? Twenty volume Oxford English Dictionary? Snowcone machine?

[MorningGlow]

7. Wait! Wait! Go back!

Municipal bond--THAT'S what I was thinking of! Chocolate bunnies does come a close second, though. Ditto with the snowcone machine. Or...wait...that's me...

[cbdo2007]

8. Just give her a roll of presidential dollars.

Who cares what she spends them on? It's her money.

If you give her any kind of a savings bond or whatever she's going to look at you like, "what the hell is this and how can I get some cash from it?" I don't think any one graduating college right now has any idea what a savings bond or anything similar is.

If you want to really give her something helpful, get her a book on how to manage your finances, get/stay out of debt, and save for retirement. She'll give you the same look as if you gave her the savings bond....but it's something every new college grad needs to know.

[Chan790]

10. No, they know.

Problem is that virtually all savings bonds issued today are series E, EE or I and have a near-immediate redemption value. It's fuck-all but they can be redeemed, usually for 50% of face plus a few cents. (I is full face value plus interest.)

(I work in a bank and redeem them all the time for clients who got one as a gift from Grandma.)

[Chan790]

11. Dupe.

[ChoralScholar]

9. buy her "Ruminations on College Life"

by Aaron Karo

http://www.amazon.com/Ruminations-College-Life-Aaron-Karo/dp/0743232933

[Iggo]

12. I'm giving my niece money.

But I'm not giving it to her until a month after graduation.

Let her get the partying out of her system first.

[orleans]

13. how 'bout "dinner & a movie" or "a day at the mall"

all done with gift cards. (depends on how much you plan on spending of course)

i've done those for my daughter--of course it's dinner & a movie for two so she could take a guest with her.

the mall idea includes gift cards for clothes stores, a shoe store, video/music store, restaurant or food court, coffee shop & bookstore. (if you've got a ton of money tack on the hair salon)

or you could also do "a day at the spa" & get a gift card to pay for a massage, haircut, mani & pedi.

i'm sure whatever you give her will be fine.