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18th birthday money

(36 Posts)
LlynP Tue 24-Sep-19 12:28:40

Hi, my great-nephew is 18 next month and I would like to give him some cash but have no idea how much it should be. He doesn't live near me and I have little contact with him but we were very close up to when he was about 10 years old as we lived close by.

Any ideas on how much would be reasonable please? I'm not loaded with money but wouldn't want to do anything that might be deemed insulting either.

Gonegirl Tue 24-Sep-19 12:29:41

Five hundred pounds?

MawB Tue 24-Sep-19 12:32:14

I was going to say £100
#meanandstingy

newnanny Tue 24-Sep-19 12:34:02

Only you know what you can afford but if you were close in his formative childhood years and you are fond of him I assume you want to treat him. I give £50 to my nephews and nieces when they turn 18. I could give more but I think that is enough. I also give them £100 when they go to Uni and £100 when they graduate.

Fairiesfolly Tue 24-Sep-19 12:35:51

I should think anything would be welcome at 18. Give what you can afford and what your finances allow. Maybe buy a nice gift and send it, that way if your finances are in short supply he will not know how much it cost. You can buy gifts online and they will send for you with wrapping and a card if needs be. Search gifts for boys etc.

fizzers Tue 24-Sep-19 12:43:04

Iwould say 50, but any amount you can afford would be appreciated

MissAdventure Tue 24-Sep-19 12:47:01

I would say £100 if you can afford it.

If not, anything would be great, I'm sure.

newnanny Tue 24-Sep-19 12:50:21

You might also need to consider how many nieces and nephews you have. I have 14 on my side of family and 3 on dh side so 17 in all. You may only have 1 or 2.

Gonegirl Tue 24-Sep-19 12:57:52

Sorry, read it as grandson. Fifty or a hundred fine for great nephew.

knickas63 Tue 24-Sep-19 13:02:23

£50 is absolutely fine if you can afford it.

whywhywhy Tue 24-Sep-19 13:04:36

I would say £100 is a good amount but it is up to you as to what you can afford.

M0nica Tue 24-Sep-19 14:05:11

As long as a piece of string, dependant on your means.

When my god daughter's children were small I gave them £25 for Christmas and birthdays. This ended when they were 18 when I gave them £200.

silverlining48 Tue 24-Sep-19 15:06:06

Agree that £50 is more than generous. Unless you are very rich in which case £100 is super generous but as newnanny says, consider if you have a lot of nephews/nieces coming if age.

KatyK Tue 24-Sep-19 15:38:56

I'd give 50.

GabriellaG54 Tue 24-Sep-19 16:05:05

I too think that £50 is plenty. After all, you have barely any contact and he's not exactly a close relative.
I personally don't/wouldn't give anything to great or great great grandchildren on their 18th if they've done nothing to deserve it, except live (with parents footing the bill) for 18 years.

GabriellaG54 Tue 24-Sep-19 16:06:55

Sorry...meant great or great great nephew/niece.

Esther1 Tue 24-Sep-19 17:15:19

£20 is enough if you don’t have much contact.

gillybob Tue 24-Sep-19 17:23:55

Blimey deep breath, some of you must be made of money ! Genuinely shocked that someone would consider giving a great nephew that they have no contact with £500 or even £100 for a birthday . I couldn’t even give that to my own child or grandchild . shock

Coolgran65 Tue 24-Sep-19 17:24:15

I think £50 is plenty.
It is a gesture, and plenty of you haven't been seeing him regularly.

callgirl1 Tue 24-Sep-19 21:30:30

I may seem stingy, but I`m not well off, my grandchildren have each received £20 at 18, then £25 at 21. All the other birthdays they got £10 whilst at school, then £5 for ever after. There are 7 of them, but one is still only 11.

Gonegirl Tue 24-Sep-19 22:21:33

Oh for goodness sake gillybob. I said five hundred because I thought it was a grandson. I wouldn't give that much to a nephew I didn't have anything to do. Wouldn't actually give him anything. Might manage a card.

I am really sorry you are hard up. Life is not always fair.

Gonegirl Tue 24-Sep-19 22:22:21

Definitely wouldn't give him anything.

Sara65 Tue 24-Sep-19 22:26:24

I agree maybe a hundred, That seems about right to me

Rebellious Tue 24-Sep-19 22:29:38

Give him what doesn't negatively affect your finances. £18 pounds would be a fun amount.

MissAdventure Tue 24-Sep-19 22:29:49

I've changed my mind.
£50 now I've thought more about it.
I must have been full of the joys of spring this morning, and not my usual (tight) self.