I give $200 to relatives and close friends' kids.

Unfortunately, in 2025, FOUR kids on our street, for whom one of our adult daughters had done a lot of babysitting, sometimes at our house, graduated. We had largely fallen out of touch with him. In fact, we got a graduation announcement from one family that had already moved not only off of our street but out of our city.

Also got a graduation announcement for my husband's cousin's child whom we met once in 2007. Briefly. We haven't seen or spoken to those people since then.

That's when the token gift comes in handy.

Using the announcements, I found the websites for each school, and located their school colors and mascots.

Let's say that a kid, Mary, graduated from Townville High School, and they were called Tigers. School colors are red and black. (Obviously making this shit up)

I printed the following design at the top of sheets of legal paper:

CONGRATULATIONS, Mary , Townsville Class of

And then the bottom I put "Goooo Tigers!"

In between the words at the top and the words at the bottom, I use double stick tape to a fix a $20 bill near the top, another one under it, and a five dollar bill under that. No, a $45 gift isn't considered generous these days, but it truly was a token gift. It's all in the presentation.

One of my son's graduated from high school in 2009. The adult daughter of a friend of mine, whom I had only met once, and when the sun was with me, and who had told my son to be sure to send her a graduation invitation/announcement, wrote him a check made out for "2009 cents "yes, it was a gift of two $20.09, but it was totally unexpected, unnecessary, and very, very thoughtful and sweet. Obviously, it was also memorable! AND, it's probably what ignited my idea to do the 220s and the five for the year 2025. Had to do seven of those suckers, and then the graduation gifts for the kids we are actually related to or otherwise close to.