It's an age-old conundrum.
Should you give a gift or just cash for a wedding/Christmas/birthday? You have the die-hard gift fans who insist that ''opening a present'' is a present in itself and who can’t bear the impersonality of being handed an envelope.
But what about you? Things like weddings, birthdays and of course, the beast that is Christmas seem like they are every other weekend, and that means you're forking out quite a lot.
So, to make things a little easier on your pocket let's have a look at which makes more sense to give - cash or gift.
Let's talk gifts
We all love the excitement of opening a gift - there's just nothing like tearing off that wrapping paper, wondering what you will find underneath.
That said, it’s an awful lot of pressure trying to find something meaningful that a couple or person will love.
Let's be real here, so many gifts go underused and are therefore a waste of money. When it comes to spending your hard-earned cash, don’t bother taking a gamble on a gift that may or may not be received well and why not opt for giving money instead?
Let's talk cash
We know what you're probably thinking - cash is so cold, so thoughtless and there's no time and effort put into giving it as a present.
We hear you, we really do.
However, hear us out. While cash tends to feel less tangible as a gift due to how easy it to transfer money with the click of a button, there are a few reasons that will make you think again about switching from gift-giving to cash-giving.
Cash doesn't expire - unlike pesky gift-cards or pretty much every other potential present. Your newlyweds, birthday girl/boy of niece at Christmas can use the cash whenever and wherever they want.
Now isn't that a real gift?
As well as that, think of cash like this - it always fits and it never goes out of style.
Think about it like this: you've bought a cute dress for a friend’s birthday gift and they can't fit into it in three months or decides that they hate it after a week.
That money you shelled out on it might as well be flushed down the drain.
You surely have gifts you've gotten at some stage that you ''put away'' on top of a wardrobe/under a bed/someplace safe and they're gathering dust as you read this.
Cash isn't clutter - and that might be the greatest gift of all.
So what will it be?
It seems pretty clear that cash is actually more economical in the grand scheme of things.
And just because it's not a hand-wrapped gift with a bow doesn't mean giving cash as a gift doesn't have to be a memorable experience.
Giving money doesn't have to be boring - you can think of creative ways to give it, like putting the money in balloons or making a ''cash box.''
Pop some cash in a pretty handmade envelope or if you want to do something that will really stick in people's mind - make a money tree (yes, it is like it sounds.)
So, at the next nuptials or birthday bash, maybe leave the gifts - your bank balance will thank you in the long run.
