Thanks for all of the ideas. To address the budget question, I was thinking no more than $1000 probably.
Or not remember, lol!
@twoinanddone He has the global entry and loves it–that’s actually a great suggestion for others to keep in mind though.
@doschicos, yes Goldman Sachs, but he won’t have to wear a suit this summer. Still a suit is probably the way to go. He has one inexpensive one, a tux, and a few jackets and I have been thinking about suits for a grad present, but he probably could use it now for interviews next year. The rain coat is also a good idea @Marilyn
@grandscheme Monogrammed buttons…like brass ones for a navy jacket? @conmama those speakers are very popular–good idea.
As for the trip idea that keeps coming up, I would love that, or just a special evening, but it just doesn’t fit with the timeframe of his birthday.
He called me the other day and mentioned that it will be his first birthday that we don’t spend together.
Trip. Our 22 year old senior is taking a trip on Spring Break with friends.
For her 21, we went out to dinner and ordered some drinks first and I had bought the “2” and the “1” birthday candle at Hannaford and had them bring her drink with candles in the glass Makes for nice pics.
When our other daughter turned 18, her best friend wrote the “18 things I like about you.” It was really touching. She’s almost 20 now but I went back and read it again. As her parent I like to say, I had trouble finding 18 really nice things to say about my teenager, but he had no trouble at all. And as I read it again, it brings tears to my eyes because every single one of them is true.
Raincoat idea: my daughter did a semester in London and we bought her a cute pink trendy London Fog raincoat with a print scarf of raincoats and umbrellas to match as a send off gift. Bought the union jack umbrella in London in a tourist shop across from Harrods. Still have it.
Our son is giving us a gift for his 21st; he is saving his first legal drink to enjoy with us when he comes home this Friday (thus my earlier post). We’re the only parents we know who have been dying for our kid to turn 21 so we can enjoy alcohol with him in restaurants/bars. I’m pretty sure we’re happier about this than he is. He’s pretty “meh” about alcohol.
As for gifts, the type of things he wants, we’ll never buy him. The military can supply him with weapons. No guns in this house. It pains me to even post this. I wish a raincoat would suffice, but the government has him covered there, too. (No pun intended.)
Maybe it’s me…but I don’t view a suit as a gift. It’s sort of like getting socks or PJs for Christmas…if it’s something you need…I guess I don’t view it as a gift.
Re: cufflinks…don’t bother buying them unless you also buy a few french cuff shirts they can be used with.
$1000? How about ten, crisp $100 bills in a nice wallet?
As I thought about it, I remembered that the raincoat was for his 25th, not his 21st.
I gave up and went with 21 of them. It looks like it will all be absorbed trying to eat for 10 weeks during his internship in NYC this summer. The grocery store prices are shocking, to say the least.
I’m sure it is much appreciated. Plus, it’s an investment in building his resume by making the internship more workable and not having to live on packets of ramen noodles. 
When I was 21, I was dreaming about a new car, but it depends on his interests…By the way, lap top is also a good idea!
Maybe you should just ask him…
See post #46. A decision was made.