What to buy for 18th birthdays?

DGS was 18 last August. He is already saving in an ISA so I knew cash would be safe with him. He has now bought a car - with a bit of advice from his Dad (my DS2). I think he did quite well in A-level Economics and Business Studies!

I thought my comments would annoy some people and they weren't aimed at anyone in particular.

When I hear of teenagers being given a car for their birthday it just reminds me how everytime we have the COP conferences, and Paris agreement about Climate change, there are commitments made to reduce car use and we ignore them.

Driving lessons by all means but why not share a car?

Grammaretto

I cannot understand why cars are considered a suitable gift for teenagers.

Surely we should be reducing car dependency and encouraging public transport.

I love the idea of commissioning a portrait.
If they have a love of anything from animals to sport, music to art, there are endless ideas that don't have to involve large sums of money.

If you’re living in a rural area a car for getting around is pretty much essential and an old small car (or motorbike) makes life bearable because there’s is no alternative. However there should be strict rules when they can use it and who they can carry, they need to get experience and it is no different wether they are 17 or 21 they are just as likely to have an accident.

I've decided to go down the experience road for both dgc with a small token gift each as well. Dgd has a Pandora bracelet so a nice charm for that is on order. Dgs is assembling a full Highland dress outfit with pieces coming from assorted relatives. Decent kilt outfit is well over a £1k so we're buying the two sgian dubh. There are loads of fantastic outdoor experiences around Inverness so I think we're going for a day's climbing instruction - they're both very sporty/physical as are most of the family(except myself and Grampy!) Dil has just completed her 200th Munro!!
I'd love to encourage use of public transport Grammaretto but we only have a bus service every 2 hours and you can either go north or south. That's it! Most of the kids here learn to drive at 17 out of sheer necessity, all of ours did.

I cannot understand why cars are considered a suitable gift for teenagers.

Surely we should be reducing car dependency and encouraging public transport.

I love the idea of commissioning a portrait.
If they have a love of anything from animals to sport, music to art, there are endless ideas that don't have to involve large sums of money.

The £3K was a gift from GPs. It was supposedly for her 18th, but we asked for it earlier to pay for the car - which they were happy to let her have.
Saving just £50 a month will give well over £10000 to a grandchild at 18.
I suppose a lot depends on the amount of children/grandchildren one has.

You walk in very different shoes to me Georgesgran if you give £3000 for a present or even a thousand blimey

Yes Witzend the rising cost of car insurance is a major factor these days. I used to drive DD1 to school - 20miles in heavy traffic and we often discussed makes and models suitable for a first car. The £3K she had from the GPs bought a nice second hand Citroen Axa Jazz. The insurance (she was 17) was £1K which was our part of the deal. Luckily, she remained accident/incident free and the insurance dropped steadily over the next years.
I’m not sure the same could be said these days!

At the same time, a friend had bought her son a new Vauxhall, which was then being sold with an insurance package deal to young drivers. The increase in the premium after the first year was so big, that he had to sell the car and get something cheaper to run.

I topped up my eldest granddaughter’s junior ISA with a decent sum and gave her a piece of jewellery from my own collection. Did I get a thank you? No more presents now.

Sadly cash is king, which we do put directly into our DGs bank accounts. However we do make a counterfeit bank note. Bank of Granny and Gramps, usually with their face on it. Takes a bit of time but is. very well received.

A token gift and cash would be universally acceptable to most 18yr olds, so unless they have asked for something specific it’s the safest choice.

Our twin gs’s are 18 in a couple of weeks. I’m giving them money.
They are going to Crete with 6 others, so will appreciate the cash.
They wouldn’t appreciate anything I bought them so this is what I’ll do.
DGD is 18 in august and I will buy her some jewellery as a keepsake from her Nanna, as I did with eldest gd now 22.

I started that when my first grandchild was born then there were more and more and more and unless you have only one or two grandkids or a very hefty bank balance it’s not really a possibility Runaroundsue

From the day they were born, we opened accounts for our grandchildren and paid money in on a monthly basis by direct debit. For our granddaughters 18th birthday, the money that had accumulated in the bank bought her her first car and a years insurance. It will be the same when our two grandsons reach 18. I will never forget her face when we took her to choose her little car. Her other grandparents bought her driving lessons and her parents gave her money that they had saved over 18 years.

I ve had two 21 s and an 18 this year all have said please can we have money Nan when asked, I suggested one small personal present as well as some cash but they each said no thanks
So I think my days of presents are well and truly over

The last present I sent to my Grandaughter in NZ never arrived and one I sent to one Grandaughter in Ireland has just arrived back to me after 5 weeks plus, travel saying ‘electronically refused by customs’ it was a piece of inexpensive jewellery (£35) and the customs form was fully and correctly completed !!! The counter staff were as perplexed as me

aggie that’s me now

Our GS is a rock guitarist so it's yet another guitar, amplifier or bit of kit but I think we might be going on to camping equipment now for festivals.

For a recent 18th birthday we gave a piece of jewellery with a Welsh link (Mr C is Welsh) and some cash to go towards funding travelling before university. Both were received with delight.

Teenage birthdays are usually cash oriented in our family unless something specific is requested. We try to make cards personalised. Always appreciated. Younger grandchild has an item they will enjoy and we enjoy shopping for along with some cash to go towards whatever item of clothing is needed at the time, often shoes or trainers.

One of my friends is portrait artist .
On two occasions ; she's produced beautiful portraits for a family member and for a friend - working from photographs .
They were much appreciated .

I like the idea of something personal, even if cash is preferred.

My DGD will be 18 in August. She's starting at art school in the autumn so I shall find her something to help with that.

A younger DGD wanted a piccolo for her 14th bd. I gave money towards it.

It isn't easy choosing gifts.
Happy birthday to your DGC Katek

The most appreciated presents I have recently given my adult granddaughter have been in response to a need. It started with a birthday, she said she needed trainers so we went out for a meal then she chose the pair she wanted. Last winter she liked my warm mac, bought on eBay. Luckily there was another on eBay in her size. She lost her scarf and was delighted to choose one of mine. She was worried about a course she is doing and I found her books to help.

Buy a Gift experience box. You can choose from lots of boxes.
I recently bought my sister and brother in law a hotel weekend break box for their Ruby wedding anniversary.
www.buyagift.co.uk/all-experiences?cm_mmc=google-_-BAG-Brand-Generics-Category-_-BAG-Brand-Generics-Category-GEN-Gifts-_-buy+a+gift+locations&mkwid=sGvJZCgHw_dm&pcrid=693800820622&pkw=buy+a+gift+locations&pmt=b&pg=&slid=&pgrid=124172182752&cpgnid=2066905389&ptaid=aud-561782360813%3Akwd-838127374052&SIDIM=&maas=maas_adg_api_8613277860102_macro_1_4&ref_=aa_maas&aa_campaignid=2066905389&aa_adgroupid=124172182752&aa_creativeid=ad-693800820622_ptaid-aud-561782360813%3Akwd-838127374052_dev-m_ext-_slid-&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwz42xBhB9EiwA48pT77_hvxpeSONuGEO7xpWGMFSEt1dDsP2ZQKg2Cf6K76ooPll5IkKd4BoCVUsQAvD_BwE

I’m a soft touch for cash , actually I transfer money to there account
I always get an immediate thank you txt

The trouble nowadays, Georgesgran, is not the cost of the car, but of the insurance! Especially if they’re still teens.
It used to be cheaper to insure girls, but that was ruled discriminatory and unlawful by whoever it was.

It makes no sense. While knitting in the afternoons I often watch Police Interceptors (can’t follow anything with a plot while knitting) and 99.9 times out of a hundred, the kids they stop who are speeding/driving dangerously/like complete lunatics, often under the influence of weed, too, are young males, overwhelmingly teens/early 20s.

As an aside …. we made it clear to both DDs that it was either 18 or 21 …. they couldn’t expect and wouldn’t get lavish gifts for both!

I’ve put money into my DSGs accounts every month - not a fortune - but it’ll be enough for a decent second hand car when they want one. I probably won’t be here to see that, but I’d gladly give them access to it at 17. That’s what my MinL did for DD1 28 years ago, and despite the cost of living rises etc, it’s still more than possible to get a decent little first car for not a lot of money.
Of course, there’s always the chance they won’t want a car, so it’ll just be a nice cash gift for whatever they want.