We cut off at 22 or college graduation (whichever is first). We are now on a new generation and between our siblings H and I have 13 great nieces and great nephews. We don’t buy for them at all.
My sister told all of us we were to stop giving birthday present (money) after 18, so that’s what we did.
I think I am going to stop giving. My nephew is turning 19 and I just wasn’t sure what to do. If we lived close to them then I would be happy to see him for his birthday and give actually give him a present. I think money is so impersonal sometimes. I never give my kids money for gifts. I actually buy presents or gift cards to their favorite stores.
I got all kinds of grief for suggesting we stop doing Xmas gifts for everyone (there are 18 of us now!) so birthdays made me wary. The oldest nephew and wife had a baby last year, and that seemed like a good time to stop – nephew was 28! Youngest niece is about to graduate from college. I confess I am now just sending cards in part because no gift was ever acknowledged. I don’t need a written thank you, but spending hours finding something just right, mailing it, and then…crickets? I know I’m old, because it irritates me.
^ Yes–a text would be just fine.
Sending money to nieces and nephews is a thing?
We used to do this in our family until last year. BIL suggested that it was time to stop particularly since all the nieces and nephews were in their 20’s and most were working. We just ended cold turkey, no age cutoff. We did this right before S1’s birthday, but as the oldest in his generation, he had gotten the most gifts anyway. I felt bad for my youngest niece, but it was her father who suggested the end of gift-giving.
- Most are single and even I would love to get completely "for fun" $20 every now and then!
My parents have always been very generous, and one special touch that I really appreciate is the tying of the birthday check amount to the recipient’s age. Example: last year, my check was for $545.45.
The ones that write thank-yous continue to get money in a card (even into their 20s). The ones who couldn’t be bothered to write a thank-you got cut off (some were quite young).
@greenbutton, expecting a brief thank you does not make you “old.” My kids used to think I bugged them too much about sending thank you notes (or at least emails/texts) until one sent a wedding present that was never acknowledged. Suddenly the light dawned. : )
We have over two dozen nieces and nephews and nearly as many grand-nieces & nephews. In general, birthday and Christmas gifts stopped years ago, and were once done by drawing names. I send wedding gifts but if they aren’t acknowledged I don’t send any other gifts to that individual. Why burden someone with something they don’t appreciate? There are a very few to whom we send a family gift for the holidays because they send lovely photos of their kids and write terrific notes.
How nice of y’all to do that. We’ve never sent birthday money to the nieces and nephews, but my sons do still occasionally get birthday cards from my brother and his wife. They don’t have kids and are really close to mine.
A thank-you is a must. Still. I was at a family event and was given a big check for each of my boys that was part of a will settlement that took about 18 months to sort out. The kids know my rule – you get the check to cash when you’ve written the thank-you. Mind you, it’s not like it was this cousin’s money – he was executor for an uncle with no kids – but he has spent a lot of time on this because of ensuing drama. Their thank-yous were along the line of “thank you for working so hard to make this happen.”
Starting on their 18th birthday I send a card with a $5 scratch ticket. After they graduate from college, nada. Prior to 18, a nice gift in the $25 range. Getting down to the wire now, just bought the last one his 17th birthday gift so four years of scratch tickets and I’m done 
There are only five n/n but it gets overwhelming when the high school graduations and weddings start so this has worked out for me.
So I made out the birthday card for my newphew and said I was gonna stop at 18 giving money. After I made out the card I felt bad so I put a check in card There is always next year.LOL
Stopped with my niece when she graduated from college, and stopped this year with nephew, he is still in college but has never acknowledged the cards or checks. Just a quick, “thanks”, via FB or text is fine. SIL stopped with my children when they graduated from HS. Doesn’t send cards to them either.
I am stopping when they graduate from college. Only one has graduated so far and I have 5 others that I send birthday $ to.
I too appreciate some sort of thank you note, email or text. I insist that that my own children send them, but it was a huge concession for me to agree to them sending the acknowledgment in the form of an email or text. Seemed lazy to me and I know some belonging to the older generation in my family probably felt the same way receiving them in that form. But you pick your battles…
When my kids were still home, the rule (starting when they were old enough to dictate a note) was they couldn’t play with the gift until they’d written a thank you. My sibs thought I was a monster.
I do sometimes send gifts to nieces, nephews, or their s.o. “just because” if I find something particularly awesome that I know they will love. I found an autographed copy of a niece’s beloved author’s most beloved book, and sent that off because she had just moved to a new city and I know she was homesick.
My parents send their college grandchildren money every few months, always have despite our protests. I found out once my son had not acknowledged the gift OR cashed the check – boy, did I let him have it! “Oh, to be SO rich you don’t even NEED money”. He called his grandfather the next day and apologized.