This is the kind of thorny issue we’re going to look at today. In fact, she interests me too, and not because I’m a money-hungry beggar. Not at all. It’s just that, if we omit all these snotty “friends and their presence are more important” when talking about birthdays, how can we still highlight this average monetary equivalent in Russia, so that in any company it would not be embarrassing to show off your gift?
A little research
To find out how much money to give for a birthday, my friend and I even conducted a small social survey. And the most interesting conclusion from it could be the fact that the poorer the birthday person, the more modest the financial gift and vice versa.
On the other hand, there is nothing unexpected in this. After all, we won’t go to a successful, decent person for some anniversary with 1000-1500 rubles as a gift. And again, why spend a lot on the birthday boy when he barely raised money for a middle-class cafe.
True, it happens that the company of congratulators can be very motley, where the poor stand side by side with the winners in life. Then, of course, conflicts are not far away.
We focus on your budget
Therefore, the first rule that I have identified for myself is, in any case, to proceed not from the coolness of the party and its culprit, but from my own wealth. Accordingly, it is much easier to calculate the amount left for a gift.
You can proceed from dividing your salary by the number of days in a month. For example, I come up with a figure of 2000 rubles, which seems neither small nor much. This means that I understand that I can immediately put it all in an envelope, or I can, knowing my friend’s preferences, buy something for 1000 and add another 1000 on top.
Of course, there are different situations, and it is stupid for a person who earns a million a month to use this rule, and for someone who can somehow get a penny for a piece of bread too. So I need to come up with a different formula, I told myself.
Formula for success
And this is what came to my mind. No, seriously, a truly brilliant idea. If we cannot fairly equalize everyone in terms of individual salaries, then let’s equalize the average cost of living of the entire region divided by days in the month.
For example, we estimate that somewhere in the Novosibirsk region this average level is approximately 50,000 rubles. We divide this by 30 and get 1,666 rubles, well, round up to 1,700. These funds, I believe, should not offend anyone.
Special cases
Well, in addition to this, I even came up with a gradation according to the levels of importance of the holiday. For clarity, I’ll explain what I mean:
- Anniversary – the amount for the gift is doubled;
- The wedding is tripled.
And if you are not going alone, but with your passion, then calculate the average income of each, sum it up and divide by days. As a rule, the amount of the gift will more or less simply double.
Thus, for myself personally, I came up with a meaningful system, thanks to which I can set aside my finances for a gift without experiencing any pangs of conscience or worries. Many people asked me about this issue, and I explained my theory to them quite convincingly. Maybe it will help you too.
Universal gifts
If you are going to a holiday with a representative of the fair sex, then you cannot do without flowers. What to do if you cannot or do not want to attend the event, but consider it necessary to give a gift. The best universal way is to order flowers delivery. This will always be appreciated positively. And for me, sometimes this is a great way to avoid unnecessary expenses.
And another option is to choose unusual gifts. Moreover, the positive side is that unusual emotional gifts can be completely inexpensive, but original.
Now I say goodbye to you.
Tatyana, 25 years old
If we take weddings, then, in my opinion, today the unspoken tariff is 100 USD. This is per person. Although some people put 150 USD per couple. Rarely does anyone think that if a wedding in Minsk is in a cafe, then the average cost per person is $50. It turns out that our “eat and drink” was covered by 50 USD. above. What kind of wedding gift is this for a couple - 50 USD? With this situation, weddings are generally unprofitable. Not only will they not pay off, but you will also end up in a deep minus.
Evgeniy, 22 years old
When we celebrate birthdays with the guys, we chip in around $50. birthday boy If this is some employee at work, then the team gathers about 50 thousand, if it’s some kind of anniversary, then more. This is for a general envelope. I went as a witness to a wedding and gave 150 dollars.
Maria, 31 years old
It depends on who you give it to and for what holiday. For a brother for a wedding - 100 USD, for a friend for her birthday - it’s somewhere around 300 thousand, if a gift is for a loved one who has everything, then the amount is not important at all, here you need an interesting idea. After all, in fact, such a man will not be surprised by the amount in the envelope or the high cost of the gift.
Natalya, 43 years old
Well, today with less than $100, it’s better not to go anywhere. But here people often do what they do - they give gifts in Belarusian rubles. After all, 500,000 is not a one with two zeros, it seems like they gave less, but there are still more zeros. Just if you think about it practically, how much money is needed today to even set a good table at home, not to mention a cafe or restaurant. Therefore, as a housewife, I understand this and if I go, I always try not to offend with money.
Oleg, 37 years old
It all depends on the social stratum in which you find yourself. Naturally, if your monthly income is 500 USD, then you are unlikely to throw away half of this money on a birthday gift for a friend. You can’t even spend that much on a wedding. And if your earnings are 5,000 USD? per month, then to come as an invitee to a wedding with a hundred bucks is somehow not status-worthy. Moreover, if this is the wedding of someone whose monthly income is 10,000 USD. It's the same with the terrain. Surely 50 dollars for Minsk and for a village 200 km from the capital are different money. And the same piece of paper in this situation will have a different value. Among my surroundings there are people to whom I will confidently give 100 euros for the New Year - and for them it will be a good gift, but there are people to whom on their birthday I cannot come with something cheaper than 500 USD. But these are all conventions. When people have money, they need to be given something exclusive. Or extraordinary. Or made to order. And it doesn't have to be expensive. Everything is very individual.
Anastasia, 34 years old
It depends on who the gift is to and how much money you have in your wallet. Can there be a limit on the amount of a gift for mom's birthday? Is it possible not to just buy a mobile phone for your father if he needs it? Is the happiness from the birth of a nephew commensurate with any money at all? In such situations, you simply give as much as you think is necessary. Once when I was a child, my dad said this thing to me: “Which ring do you think is more valuable: the one that was bought for you by a man who didn’t even notice the money, or the one who saved up for this ring?” Then I answered that it was the second one. And now I understand that the ring that was given by a person dear to your heart is more valuable. And it doesn’t matter: it will be diamonds or cubic zirconia. Attention is not measured by money.
Many people believe that giving money is impolite and indecent. But often this is the gift that will please you the most. Therefore, if you don’t know the hero of the occasion well or have heard that he is saving money for a big purchase, handing over an envelope with banknotes is the best option. This raises another subtle question: what amount would be appropriate? The answer depends on the specific situation.
The scale of the celebration
The more significant the date, the larger the gift should be. For a birthday, when the birthday person turns, say, 44 years old, you can give a small amount, but for a 50-year anniversary it should be more.
Rare events that do not happen every year are worthy of more attention and spending. It is worth investing as much money as possible (as finances allow) for a wedding gift. And if the newlyweds suddenly decide to celebrate their first anniversary, it is appropriate to divide this amount.
It is also worth considering whether the holiday is personal or general. On his birthday, a person has the right to feel in the center of attention and receive a cash gift that is enough for a major purchase. New Year is a celebration that we share with others, so the amount may be less.
The scale of the celebration must also be taken into account. If the celebration is celebrated on a grand scale, a lot of money and time have been spent on it, it is worth investing more in the envelope. You can spend less on a modest holiday at home. But this factor should not be decisive: take other indicators into account when deciding how much to put in a gift envelope.
Your financial capabilities
An important point to consider when calculating the amount of a gift is your own budget. Don't spend too much and then deny yourself everything. Decide on the amount of money that you can give as a gift without causing serious damage to your financial condition.
It would be rational to calculate the family’s annual budget and add gifts to it as a separate line. But you need to think carefully and remember all the upcoming celebrations and all the people to whom you will give money. Even if you calculate everything, there is a high probability that you will be invited to an unplanned celebration. Therefore, take into account unexpected expenses in advance by increasing the planned amount or adding an additional item.
When calculating, you can use special budget planner programs or just take a piece of paper and a pen.
If there is no opportunity and time for long-term planning, proceed from the current financial situation. Spending more than a fifth of your monthly salary on a gift is not worth it, even if the celebration is planned to be magnificent and the date being celebrated is round.
Who is the gift for?
The closer and dearer a person is to you, the more it is worth giving. Large sums of money as gifts to almost strangers look inappropriate. But parents, husband or wife, children, siblings should be given an envelope tightly stuffed with banknotes.
Family friends with whom you share many memories deserve a good, large gift. And colleagues, relationships with whom are formal and limited to work, will not be offended by a few banknotes of not the highest denomination.
Sometimes it's difficult to decide on a gift for children. The older the child, the more you can give. But large sums, if given to the child himself, would be inappropriate. If the money is transferred to the parents, you can give more so that it is enough for a good gift.
Don't worry if your gift is smaller than others or the one they gave you. Gifts are a sincere expression of gratitude and love, not a competition. Don’t look at others and focus only on your own situation.
How much money is customary to give for a birthday? This question worries many people who go to congratulate a friend, relative or colleague. Crispy banknotes have become a universal gift - it’s always nice to receive them and there’s no shame in giving them.
But the question is how much money to give for your birthday. After all, the amount should be sufficient to make the birthday person happy, but not so large as to drain the personal budget. In fact, there is no clear answer, but there are several generally accepted rules and recommendations.
The concepts of “many” and “little”
Money is a rather intimate area of any person’s life. In our country it is still not customary to directly answer questions about income levels. Therefore, even the best friends may not know each other’s salary and often be misinformed about the real financial capabilities of their loved ones. In this situation, situations often arise when the birthday person is disappointed with the size of the gift, although the donor presented it based on his own financial capabilities.
And here we can formulate the basic rule of “money in an envelope”: such a gift should not be significant for the family budget. For example, in big cities the gift amount is usually 5 thousand rubles. or 100 USD e. and more or at least 3 thousand rubles. In small towns, 5 thousand rubles is 25% or even 50% of wages. Therefore, in the provinces, cash gifts are much more modest - 1000-1500 rubles.
On an anniversary, it is customary to give more, usually 2-3 times. But an anniversary is an infrequent and planned event, and you can prepare for it in advance and save money several months in advance.
How much money do you give to a colleague for his birthday these days? If we are talking about collecting money from the entire team in a single envelope, then there is usually some generally accepted minimum and maximum amount, for example, an interval between 500 and 5 thousand rubles. Moreover, if a colleague has not only a working, but also a friendly relationship, then you can present a separate envelope with bills of a slightly higher denomination.
Adults and children's gifts
How much money should I give to my child for his birthday? It's no secret that now even a three-year-old toddler has his own piggy bank, in which they collect money for some big purchase - a PC, a game console, a good bicycle or other expensive things. Therefore, it is possible to give money to a child. It’s even better if the banknotes are presented along with a small gift, such as sweets and a small toy. After all, the child’s holiday is here and now, and not on the day when he finally saves up for the necessary thing.
If we talk about the amount, then less than 500 rubles. It is not customary to give gifts even in small towns. If financial capabilities allow, then the value of the gift increases to 1500-2000 rubles. As a rule, grandparents and godparents give a little more, as the closest people.
If we talk about the difference between adult and children's gifts, then it is customary to give larger amounts first. Although it often happens exactly the opposite - the child receives a wad of banknotes, which he still cannot spend wisely without the help of his parents, and mom and dad each receive a symbolic thousand rubles on their birthdays. But it must be said that in this case there are rarely dissatisfied people - adults are not offended by the fact that their little children are loved more than themselves.
Relatives and friends
How much money do you give to a girlfriend or boyfriend for her birthday? Here, in addition to the basic rule about financial capabilities, one more recommendation should be formulated - the amount should depend on the degree of your closeness. If we are talking about friends with whom you communicate from time to time in the same company and occasionally call each other, then you can give a small symbolic amount. The best friend and girlfriend, that is, those people who are closer than most relatives, are given slightly larger amounts.
If we talk about the gradation between relatives and friends, then it is customary for the first to present a little more. Although the amount in any case will depend on the degree of proximity.
Celebration in a cafe
How much money should you give for a birthday if the birthday person invites you to celebrate in a cafe or restaurant? This is where special etiquette comes into play. Firstly, in this case it is not customary to give anything other than money. You need to understand that a person will be paying a large bill for food and drinks, and this will significantly hit his pocket.
Secondly, the amount should not be less than your expenses in a restaurant or cafe. For example, if the average check per person in an establishment is about 2 thousand rubles, then you need to put no less in the envelope. Ideally, the gift is calculated according to the following scheme: expenses in a restaurant plus a gift, that is, when celebrating in a cafe, the amount of the gift is higher. If you were invited to a birthday party as a married couple, then the costs for both should be taken into account.
When deciding how much money to give for a birthday, you need to adhere to several generally accepted recommendations:
- The amount should be no less than what the birthday boy gave you at the time. It is believed that there cannot be such mutual settlements between close people, but some people pay attention to this.
- Agree on the size of the gift with your other half. This is a common contribution from the general family budget, so you will have to negotiate.
- Don't give too small amounts. If financial possibilities do not allow, then it is better to choose a nice and inexpensive gift.
- There is no need to give too large amounts. Many people feel uncomfortable in this situation.
If you give a large monetary gift to a loved one with modest financial resources, then you should not expect a similar act from him.