Poll: Is giving Cash as a gift rude?

[Paksenarrion]

Let me lay out two scenarios:

Giving cash and/or gift cards to a loved one: lazy and tacky.

Giving intimate apparel to an acquaintance of a loved one: creepy and awkward.

There are some things money can't buy. for everyone else, buy gift cards.

 

[MassiveGeek]

I personally love getting cash.

I don't think it's rude, and I don't see why it should be.

 

[Lord Honk]

Bestest gift for someone you don't know what to get: Money + something edible, e.g. one of my friends likes marzipan[footnote]Dunno if you know the stuff as marzipan or marchpane; anyway, the almond stuff.[/footnote], so I got her some of good quality (no reason to skimp on a few cents for a present really) and put some money with a kitschy christmas card in an envelope. Result: "Yay marzipan!" and "We gotta go to the city tomorrow."

Point I'm trying to make: If the presentation is right, gifting money isn't as bland as it sounds on paper. (haha, get it?... yeah that wasn't really that good =/)

 

[Koroviev]

I don't mind receiving cash in the slightest. It's much more versatile than a gift card.

Edit: If you're concerned about someone questioning your thoughtfulness, then just be sure to include the money in a carefully chosen card.

 

[C95J]

nope, I got lots of money for Christmas, and I am not complaining

Anyway if you can't think of anything to get the person, then you might as well give them money, or risk giving them something they might not like or not getting them anything at all.

 

[HazzaH]

I think it's a bit rude if you ALWAYS get that person cash, despite knowing them really well.
Cause it's kind of like saying that you can't be bothered to look for something they like. And it has to be the right person, like I wouldn't just give my mother money, that's pretty sad.

But like Koroviev said, you can put something nice in the card if you want them to know you're still thinking of them.

 

[nohorsetown]

The mainstream official viewpoint is "oh, yes, definitely very rude".

I think cash is awesome, tho. You really can't buy a better gift for someone than what they would get for themselves, because they know themselves and therefore *know what they want*. I think, a lot of the time, people are more concerned with looking good, showing they made the effort, showing that they weren't "tacky" enough to give cash, than they are with genuinely doing something cool for their loved ones.

I don't really get it, but people like to be surprised and do the whole gift-giving dance and guessing game. Hell, people like to go into debt and take time off work and travel around the country/world just to bicker and fight with their families. Holidays are weird.. I'm a little disconnected from the whole Christmas thing the way we do it here in the states.

Ideally, if distilled down to the very core idea, gift-exchanging would be one of two things: A) everyone gives each other cash, but there's no point anymore. B) people truly give each other gifts that money can't buy, ie: make it yourself. This year my daughter made me some guitar picks out of cardboard and plastic bits. I know they will make absolutely terrible guitar picks, but they're still totally awesome, and I will cherish them. (Funny, kids are often better at that sort of thing than adults are.)

But yeah, I like cash.

 

[Colour Scientist]

It's not rude but I much prefer getting gifts that are personal, even if they're homemade and didn't actually cost anything.
It really annoys me when people get me perfumey stuff or bathsets though, it's so lazy.

 

[_Janny_]

It isn't rude, but it does say that you either couldn't be bothered to pick out something for them or don't know them very well.

This pretty much sums it up better than I ever could.

I find it weird whenever I get money as a gift. I just feel awkward and slightly embarrassed for some reason; I think, deep down, I don't really want to take someone's money because I feel like they could make better use of it than me.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I prefer getting money. It means I can buy what I really want but no one gets me...Anime, manga and video games (though my brother did get me Ponyo this year, which was awesome since it's by Miyazaki)

 

[Instinct Blues]

I don't find it rude unless the person you gave it to put in the time and effort to pick out a gift for you and all you did was pull a $50 out of your wallet and put it in a card.

 

[rowan-thats-me]

by getting mainly money off people instead of getting games, random t-shirts, and dvds(which are all really nice BTW) I can get the ski equipment, new trainers and hoodies that I need for my trip in a few days. so for me, the money if anything is more considerate, because it will really benefit me, which is the point of gifts isn't it?

 

[PureChaos]

I see it more as incredibly lazy, that you can't be bothered to get a fun present for someone. If you ask me, giving a present is not about how expensive it is, but it is to show how well you know that person and that you're fond of them.

i'd rather have the money than someone get me something crappy i don't want and won't use

 

[ramboondiea]

ofcourse its not rude, pretty much everyone gave me money this year, iv ended up with just over £400, which i would rather have then just things. i gave money to my cousins this year s they can get what they want, its a nicer gesture. but i gave my friends gifts because i thought just chucking money at them to be a bit weird (thou i wouldnt have considered it rude and i doust they would have either)

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

In a way. It pretty succinctly says "I know not a fucking thing about your interests or what you like".
Still, I guess it isn't "rude", per se. More tacky than anything.

Honestly, I'd prefer money. I need all the fucking help I can get and it's not like I plan on asking anyone for it.

 

[El Poncho]

I'd rather be given money than a present I will never look at again.

 

[Wintermoot]

with cash people can make their own choice in what to get

 

[Shirokurou]

No...