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AIBU?

To just give money?

18 replies

EricNorthmansFangBanger · 11/05/2013 09:58

DD1 has her first birthday party to go to this afternoon. The birthday girl will be 5 and is someone she plays with quite a bit at school. I'm not completely sure whether to just put money in her card or to try and figure out what to buy her? Is it acceptable to give money and if so, how much do you give? Do you mention to the mum that you've put money in the card? Or would it be better to get a present instead? If I get her a present what should I get her? We've not got a lot of money spare so I've found it hard to think of what we could fet that isn't just tat.

Feeling slightly lost in all of this and have another birthday party at the end of the month too, so any advice is appreciated. Also feeling slightly nervous at staying as I don't really talk to any of the other mums as they've all got their little groups they stand in and I'm quite shy.

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Lj8893 · 11/05/2013 10:01

Take your dd shopping and get her to help pick a gift for her friend, she is the one that knows her best :) and you can help pick something within your budget!

A 5 year old will appriciate a present more than money.

And if its a really odd gift just mention your dd picked it and it won't seem odd anymore, just cute :)

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Mutt · 11/05/2013 10:02

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DuchessFanny · 11/05/2013 10:05

I've given money or printed off Amaxon vouchers ( because my kids LOVE getting a voucher - my youngest is 5) means they can pick what they want if you're not sure what to get them

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MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 11/05/2013 10:05

Tat is fine. Money is fine. DD has had money in cards at her birthday parties a few times, mostly £5, occasionally 10 but I always only aim to spend about £7-8ish on a party gift.

But then I am a sad git who keeps a stock of childrens presents - bargains from TKMaxx, The Works, Book People books, surplus xmas/birthday presents (where I realised I had bought too much for my own DCs so I keep a few back to give as presents through the year, I don't steal the presents they were given!)

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DontMeanToBeRudeBut · 11/05/2013 10:08

You could just put money in, I'm sure it would be appreciated, or you could get a small gift. I once saw a gift at a birthday party that was a gift bag with one of those cupcake-making sets (like this) with a couple of extra edible decorations, which I thought was so thoughtful - inexpensive but something fun and not tat. You could jazz it up a bit and do a home-made one if you have enough time, instructions here: BBC Good Food.

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Shinyshoes1 · 11/05/2013 10:09

I give a fiver in a card it's not much but will go towards any other money they might receive . Plus the kids faces light up when they get paper money , they think they are rich

How about something like this ??

item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=140533585423&index=19&nav=SEARCH&nid=56531200842

This is what I might start doing , there are Hello Kitty ones on there I've been looking at too

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Shinyshoes1 · 11/05/2013 10:11

Here's her site with loads of lovely things on and cheap too
item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=140533585423&index=19&nav=SEARCH&nid=56531200842

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StealthOfficialCrispTester · 11/05/2013 10:11

DS (6) had a whole class party recently and received loads of stuff, and I can honestly say he liked everything he got.
I tend to go for books or lego as safe bets

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Mutt · 11/05/2013 10:13

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WilsonFrickett · 11/05/2013 10:17

I am the least organised person in the world but I do tend try to pick up the odd gift in the sales and when I see bargains.

For a five year old I would spend around a fiver. So putting that in a card would be fine, but for the last party we went to I got a massive pack of felt tips, a big pad of paper and a bag of 'art bits' - Pom poms, googly eyes, animal feet sort of thing - in Tesco for round about the same money. Ask your dd what the girl likes to do and pick up something cheap.

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TwoFourSixOhOne · 11/05/2013 10:17

Oh, excellent thread. I've just posted similar, I was going to buy a box of maltesers but money is a good idea too.

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StealthOfficialCrispTester · 11/05/2013 10:18

You can pick up some small lego sets for around £7 I'm sure. Supermarkets are good. But yes, probably not a fiver.

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SwishSwoshSwoosh · 11/05/2013 10:20

I wouldn't give money for a non family child's birthday, no. Easy to pick up a game in a supermarket or a book surely?

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ENormaSnob · 11/05/2013 10:23

Fiver in card would be fine IMO.

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EricNorthmansFangBanger · 11/05/2013 10:29

Thank you all - plenty of good ideas. I tried to get DD to ask her what she'd like but had no luck there. When we went shopping last week I asked DD to pick her something out with the view to getting it this week when we had the spare cash. She picked a few things out but they were expensive things Hmm

I stupidly gave DH my bank card this morning and he's in work til 4, so I have pretty much a 30 minute dash available to try and get her something before the party at 5.

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HorryIsUpduffed · 11/05/2013 13:42

Craft things - stickers, coloured paper, felt tips or coloured pencils.

I got someone a craft kit that looked like Spirograph in the supermarket last week for under £5. Maybe a bit fiddly for age 5 though. They had kits for wooden spoon dolls and similar though.

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StinkyElfCheese · 11/05/2013 14:09

The present that went down the best was when I gave my dd 6.50 in Tesco to get her friend a present she got a hula hoop. Pompoms bubbles and a sparkly pink ball the little girl loved it as she was in the hula hoop club at school ( another one dd started) and didn't have one already - don't get a Barbie I have never met a little girl yet who actually plays with them :)

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OwlinaTree · 11/05/2013 16:14

Can i join hula hoop club, sounds great!

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