Graduation season is upon us. Whether your favorite grad is finishing high school or university it’s all about celebrating the achievement and the beginning of a new chapter in their journey. All graduating students love gifts, and to celebrate this major milestone I have a few suggestions on awesome gifts for grads.
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Probably the most awesome gift for a grad would be a car. Generally speaking, that’s out of the question for most parents. When I graduated high school, I can count on one hand the kids I knew who got a car as a graduation gift. And still have fingers left over! One kid who received a car was the son of a pilot who probably had no problem affording it. One girl I hung out with received a used car from her parents. And one girl I was quite close with got a car from her grandparents as a graduation gift. Wouldn’t we all love to get a car for graduating? Unless one of the parents is considering buying a new car and handing down the old car to their kid, a gifted car is generally an extravagant gift out of the budget for many families.
How about a trip? A super fun vacation would be another awesome gift for grads. When I was in high school the grade 12 graduating class received a special offer to take a trip to Hawaii, probably a package deal sponsored by a local travel agency. It was during Spring Break and I’m foggy on details because I didn’t go on the trip, but I think it was one week at a hotel on Waikiki Beach. I’m not sure if a teacher was chaperoning or how many parents were tagging along. It must have been a group rate where the grads got a good deal on airfare and hotels.
Oddly enough there was never any discussion with my parents about a grad gift when I finished high school. About a month before I graduated I was aware that my father was planning a business trip to England at the end of June and I asked him if I could go too. We have relatives in England I could stay with. He asked if I’d be out of school by then and I said yes, and he said he didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t go along. Who knew it would be that easy! And then he got a great idea. Why not bring the whole family? And that was when I backed out and said I no longer wanted to go. Then my parents said they wanted to give me a trip for graduation and asked where I’d like to go instead. The first thing I thought of was Hawaii because I’d never been there.
My awesome grad gift was a trip to Hawaii! It was my first trip there and I loved it. My mother went with me and we spent a week on Oahu and a week on Maui.
Check me out on the road to Hana on the island of Maui! I’m pretty sure I still own that hat – it’s hard to say because I have many things in storage as I’m between houses. Vintage!
Is Hawaii still an awesome gift for a grad? Where do younger people want to travel these days?
Some grads might be moving out on their own and might appreciate small appliances or furniture to get them started. Generally speaking, as people get older they don’t appreciate kitchen gadgets for birthday and Christmas presents, but a recent grad might be more appreciative.
A conGRADuations card with a check, cash,or gift card is always an awesome gift for a grad. (Disclosure: if you click the Wal-Mart or Amazon banner and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission for the referral.)
What do you kids spend most of their time on? Smartphones! Upgrade their current model and they’ll be in sheer bliss.
Do they need a new laptop computer? That’s another awesome gift for a grad, whether or not they’re continuing their education.
Or even an iPad, Kindle, or other tablet would be awesome for a grad to receive.
A fun activity to do together is another awesome gift for a grad. Maybe it’s a trip to the country to go horseback riding. How about a day at an amusement park? How about a bike ride around the city including lunch or dinner at a new restaurant?
Putting together a special gift basket is another awesome gift for a grad. Fill it with photo mementos, snacks, gift cards, and favorite things the new grad likes. Throw in a copy of The Automatic Millionaire, a perfect choice for new grads who need to learn the basics of smart investing and saving.
A piece of jewelry is another awesome gift for a grad. Maybe it’s an heirloom necklace that’s been passed down for generations within the family. Back when I graduated a watch was an awesome gift for a grad, and I knew many kids who received a new watch upon graduation. These days it’s a smart watch from Apple that would be an awesome grad gift. I say you can never go wrong with a good old Timex Weekender that’ll fit into every budget.
Here’s to your success! The world is your oyster. Congratulations to all the new graduates out there!
