In article , Tai says...

Banty wrote:
In article , Tai says...

Anne Rogers wrote:
My gran has asked if there is anywhere online she can deposit money,
so that we can then choose some gifts for the kids. I'm guessing
that the only mechanism for doing something like this would be to
purchase a gift card to an online store, which is something we're
unfamiliar with, can you do this totally electronically? Any ideas
of stores that might do
them?

I don't know about stores but why can't your gran just get her bank
to transmit the money into your bank account? Where I live I can do
that via internet banking myself or arrange it over the counter at a
nearby bank branch. Our parents live in another country and they
just send money for their grandchildren directly into an account
here by going into their bank and organising a foreign currency
transfer which usually arrives promptly the next day. All you'd have
to do is give your gran your bank, branch and account numbers,
wouldn't you?

Another option would be for her to pay the money directly into your
credit card account.



Yeah - great idea. Then gran can wire *her* the money for *her*
present!

Yes, that happens, too, especially when the grandkids get to the teen years!

And this make sense to you?

Different families have different traditions in this. In mine we post cards,
photos, homemade dvds, young children's artwork and crafts and other
light-weight gifts and receive a mix of small light gifts and cash (in some
form or other), depending on the age of the recipient.

Photos and such sound wonderful!


Anne said her gran wants to send money for Anne and her husband to buy the
children what they know their children will like. Perhaps Gran is frail and
can't easily shop for gifts anymore.


Gran can call, or send photos, or use the internet, and not task somebody else
with her gift shopping.


Sweet simple, and senseless.


Why?

Because it yet another step away (after even gift cards) from the giving of
gifts as a token of affection, and becomes a bare money exchange. Done in both
directions, it's just a bunch of effort just to cancel each other out!


It's fairly common for grandparents to send money for gifts when postage
costs would eat significantly into the monetary value of the gift. If
grandma is going to buy the latest Harry Potter book for John, aged 11, then
it makes sense to send the money for John's parents to buy the gift on the
spot.


"On the spot?" John's parents live at the mall or in a bookstore?

I do know it's fairly common - it's just that it's nutty. Especially when
people are wiring *each other* $$$. How about getting back to gifts as tokens,
within one's means and abilities, and *away from* this gotta-spend money thing.


Love it.

I sense you aren't being quite sincere, Banty! What's the matter, haven't
you got anyone to argue with at the moment?!

You don't care much for irony, OK.

Banty