• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

  • About
  • Liz’s Books
  • Speaking
  • Disclosure
  • Contact

grad gifts

Give a money-smart graduation gift

May 20, 2014 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailCash is by far the most popular graduation gift. Among those who gave a grad gift, 56.7% gave cash and 32.1% offered gift cards, according to last year’s National Retail Federation survey. But what if you want to give something a little more creative, a little more personal, and something that will help your grad get the right financial start?

I asked college consultants, personal finance experts and some recent graduates for ideas that would be both welcomed by the recipient and not too hard on the wallet. People on average spent $49 on graduation gifts last year, which won’t exactly buy a round-the-world trip…or even a decent e-reader. But that amount can buy things like experiences (which contribute more to happiness than stuff), a cooking class, a pretty good carry-on bag (the better to avoid checked bag fees) and several other ideas. For more, read my Reuters column this week, “Financially smart gifts for the new grad.”

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: college, college costs, grad gifts, graduation gifts

Primary Sidebar

Search

Copyright © 2025 · Ask Liz Weston 2.0 On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in