Affordable present for niece turning 16

[umasubra]

Hi,

I'm new to MMM. I'd have given her $500 as a cash present for her 16th birthday, as it's a milestone birthday. Wondering if there's any better, more affordable yet meaningful present I can give her instead. Any great ideas?

Thanks!

[Aggie1999]

Not so much on the affordable side but most teenage girls seem to like iPhones.

[letired]

Books! Always the best present. You could also include an IOU for a fun activity together.

[Cwadda]

1) Open a Roth IRA custodial account for her and put the cash in there instead.
2) Purchase "The Simple Path to Wealth" by J.L. Collins for her.

[Gronnie]

$500 ???!!!! WOW!!!! I have some very, very wealthy relatives and I always got a $10 check from them for any occasion that called for a gift.

[NextTime]

$500 ???!!!! WOW!!!! I have some very, very wealthy relatives and I always got a $10 check from them for any occasion that called for a gift.

I got nothing from aunts and uncles growing up. Even my God parents stopped sending me gifts when I was around 8 years-old.

[marty998]

Yeah $500 a pop can send you broke very quickly if you have a big family haha

[MrsPete]

I gave my daughters a piece of "nice jewelry" for their milestone birthdays.  It's something that they'll always have, something that will serve as a memory of that special birthday, and jewelry is available in a whole lot of price points. 

[anotherAlias]

I gave my daughters a piece of "nice jewelry" for their milestone birthdays.  It's something that they'll always have, something that will serve as a memory of that special birthday, and jewelry is available in a whole lot of price points.

+1 my folks gave me a birthstone ring for my sixteenth birthday.  I wore it for twenty-ish years until the stone cracked and fell out.  Someday I'd like to get the stone replace.  I loved that ring.

[Kwill]

I gave my daughters a piece of "nice jewelry" for their milestone birthdays.  It's something that they'll always have, something that will serve as a memory of that special birthday, and jewelry is available in a whole lot of price points.

My parents and grandparents did this for me. I have pearls that I wear for dressy occasions, and they're always nice, even now that it's been over 20 years. I have a few other necklaces that I rotate among, and they don't really wear out or get old.

When relatives gave me checks, usually my parents would allow me to pick one present, and then they would deposit the rest in a savings account that I didn't have access to until midway through high school. It didn't seem fair, but I appreciated it later.

[Rosy]

Nice jewelry:
I passed on a family heirloom - a gold ring with a beautiful opal, given to me when I was that age. Of course I took it to the jeweler first to have it cleaned and the stone re-polished and the setting checked. It looked stunning and I know my niece loves it - it is her birthstone.
It honored a special milestone birthday and gave her a sense of family connection.

[WSUCoug1994]

16 year old boy?  lol.  Sorry couldn't resist.

[MBot]

I gave my daughters a piece of "nice jewelry" for their milestone birthdays.  It's something that they'll always have, something that will serve as a memory of that special birthday, and jewelry is available in a whole lot of price points.

My parents and grandparents did this for me. I have pearls that I wear for dressy occasions, and they're always nice, even now that it's been over 20 years. I have a few other necklaces that I rotate among, and they don't really wear out or get old.

When relatives gave me checks, usually my parents would allow me to pick one present, and then they would deposit the rest in a savings account that I didn't have access to until midway through high school. It didn't seem fair, but I appreciated it later.

This is so simple but makes a lot of sense! Thank you. I like this idea for our own kids.

For the OP, I like the suggestions of opening an investment count and putting cash in along with a few personal finance books. The heirloom jewelry is a neat idea too, if it is very simple and very classic. I may check with a family member who knows her well on what type of jewelry she wears most often. Eg she may not wear a ring or a bracelet, but earrings or a necklace would be appreciated.

[Snow]

Is the $500 a typo? I would consider $50 to be extremely generous from an aunt. For my coming-of-age day many years ago, the biggest single cash gift I received was a mammoth $100 from one of my grandparents, most other relatives gave in the range of  $10-20. The most expensive in total was a ~$400 bike from my dad since mine had been stolen a few months prior. I still use that bike, almost 14 years down the road. 

But then again, I felt insanely happy with my ~$500 total in cash gifts from that day. Then I got to school the next day to learn that one of my friends had received $5k worth of funds invested by her parents. I nearly fell off my chair. And that was only one gift, so there are for sure different norms for different families. I think it would depend on how much you know her. She might receive a lot of jewelry from parents and grandparents already. Is there a way you could put some of it in a fund that she can keep track of? That way she could see her money grow bit by bit, which could be a nice, practical lesson.

[MommyCake]

Another vote for jewelry.  I'd get her something meaningful and/or classically beautiful that she can wear for a lifetime. Maybe something with her birthstone or something. 

My daughter is only 1 but I can't wait to get her a necklace with a 4 leaf clover charm/pendant since she was born on St. Patricks Day.

[Sailor Sam]

If you're close enough to enjoy spending time with her, how about a special trip?

My Aunt took me to Ireland and Scotland when I was 16, and I remember it as one of the first times I started to feel like an adult. An international travel! Of course, $500 won't get you an international trip, but it get you a great long weekend.

[Case]

Hi,

I'm new to MMM. I'd have given her $500 as a cash present for her 16th birthday, as it's a milestone birthday. Wondering if there's any better, more affordable yet meaningful present I can give her instead. Any great ideas?

Thanks!

Imho, cash presents lead people (especially young people) to expect more cash.  Its like buying their love.

Spend time wiith her, take her on a trip, take her to a show, etc...  give a gift related to hobbies/passions if you can find the right thing.

[Linea_Norway]

I almost fell of my chair too when I read $500 from an aunt. That is a great lot of money for a 16 year old.
I am also thinking about putting it in an investment account. Maybe you could talk to her parents about it who could sign a construction that she can't touch it for some years.

Giving her some of your own jewelry is also a nice present. And you get emptied your house a bit in a meaningful way.

[Trifle]

+1 on a trip.  Travel is some of the best education in life, and creates memories. 

OR -- Love the Roth IRA idea, if she has had any earnings this year.

Definitely would not do cash. 

[Raenia]

Another vote for jewelry.  One of the nicest and most useful graduation presents I received was a string of pearls to wear to job interviews.  Doesn't have to be expensive, just classy and classic.

[mozar]

Aptitude testing:
http://www.jocrf.org/

[umasubra]

Thanks everyone...$500 is not a typo. They're the only family here, living close-by, and I've seen her from birth. And I'm known to give extravagant presents generally to everyone and without thinking I'd given her that this time too. But very recently, I realized how spoilt my kids and I had become, and  went looking to make some changes. That's when I stumbled upon MMM and realized it's high time we learn from this and adapt our lifestyle for good. We're doing many small changes right now and kids are taking it super well. And I thought I'll reach out to this group for advice on getting a more affordable, yet meaningful gift.

I really like the jewelry idea...I don't have family heirloom to hand out...But I can buy a ring with her birthstone on it.

Thanks everyone!

[Bracken_Joy]

I gave my daughters a piece of "nice jewelry" for their milestone birthdays.  It's something that they'll always have, something that will serve as a memory of that special birthday, and jewelry is available in a whole lot of price points.

+1.

I got pearls for my 16th birthday. Still own them, still wear them. Wore them at both college grads, and at my wedding. =)

[umasubra]

Where do you buy pearls from? Any recommendations? What about Macys, Fred Meyer type stores? Are they good?

[Bracken_Joy]

Where do you buy pearls from? Any recommendations? What about Macys, Fred Meyer type stores? Are they good?

I think mine were from Fred Meyer. We aren't fancy people, though =) I got matching earrings though, which I *really* like.

[Raenia]

Where do you buy pearls from? Any recommendations? What about Macys, Fred Meyer type stores? Are they good?

Mine were from Macy's (on sale, I think ;)

[fluffmuffin]

Cosigning all of the people recommending classic jewelry. My family always did this for milestone birthdays, and I still wear almost all of those pieces. I'd go with birthstone earrings (as long as she likes her birthstone) or pearls. If you do decide to get a ring, make sure you know her ring size.

Department store jewelry counters should be perfect for what you're looking for. Not sure where in the country you are, but my pearls are from Belk. I'd wait for a serious sale if you have time--fine jewelry can go on crazy-deep discounts. Costco also has a nice jewelry counter.