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Alice, Do I Have to Respond to Every Graduation Announcement with a Gift?

Ask Alice
Ask Alice
Alice does her best to offer solid advice about life at home. From noisy neighbors, houseguests, roommate relations and everything in between, she understands that the hard part isn't knowing what the right thing to do is - it's doing it.
published Jun 13, 2016
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Dear Alice,

With graduation season upon us I’ve received dozens of announcements from friends and family for their graduating kids. What is the proper etiquette when you receive these? Are you expected to send a gift (i.e. cash)? I simply can’t afford to send money to each and every graduate and many of these announcements are from people I haven’t heard from or talked to in eons. I feel like I’m suddenly being contacted out of the blue to send money. What’s the proper thing to do? Is it OK to just send cards (no cash) to those I’m not as close to? Or is that tacky?


Signed,
Not a Bank

Dear Not a Bank,

You absolutely aren’t obligated to send graduation gifts in response. If you are close to the graduate or the graduate’s parents, a gift, if you can afford it, is a nice gesture. For everyone else, I think you can just ignore the announcement without even a card. If you run into them, convey your congratulations verbally and that is enough.

Love,
Alice

Readers, do you agree?

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