Looking for graduation gifts suggestions for my DS. Interested in something other than money more like a keepsake. For my DD I did give her money and a necklace as the keepsake. Any ideas?
What’s your budget?
250-500
Upgrade to the latest phone
New suit or nice pair of dress shoes
Watch
Nice bottle of wine or Scotch
If a sports fan, tickets to a game with his favorite team
One more thing…high school graduation:)
Sadly phone upgrades can run more than $250-500 and really tend toward obsolescence. A laptop for college is something we got our kids before they went off to college—sadly they get obsolete as well.
Mine got a nice watch for his 18th bday and a laptop for his graduation. For watches, DS really liked Omega but they’re out of our price range. I found a men’s style site that suggested looking at Vincero watches. I was very surprised at how nice they were for the price! Still more than I would spend for myself for everyday, but for a milestone gift they’re very reasonably priced! He loves his.
Both of mine got laptops for high school graduation. They needed them anyway and we were able to search their school (college) recommendations.
We bought the laptops with the AmEx Costco CCard (now Citi Visa). It added an extra year to the warranty, which was helpful as both kids laptops died and we got a full refund for each based on the warranty. The kids replaced them with lighter, smaller netbooks and then used them as “hard drives” by hooking them up to desktops and monitors.
College ?
The OP said their budget was $250-$500.
An interview suit from a nice tailor? A weekend getaway with friends?
A Keurig coffee machine with pods for college if he enjoys drinking coffee, a luggage set, and instant pot of he knows how to cook, a mini fridge for his dorm room,.
Love the idea of a weekend get away! We’re definitely more about the experiences than material things.
We also did a photo album of my D’s HS years with pics with all her friends.
We also did a “letters to the graduate” book. https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Graduate-Later-Treasure-Forever/dp/1452159440/ref=asc_df_1452159440/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312674808447&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1818662408871965252&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021564&hvtargid=pla-330614468040&psc=1
We did/are doing a watch for both sons. I also made a photo album of “Chapter 1” of their lives. I dedicated 2 pages for each year with a bunch of various photos and little stories and tidbits about them as they grew. I doubt they will appreciate it now, but hopefully in 30-50 years. 
And I confess I made myself a 2nd copy of each one for me to cry over some day in the nursing home. 
Unless your child really can’t afford some basic dorm necessities, I would choose a luxury permanent item or memorable experience, even if small. A free weekend to somewhere special with friends, graduation party, watch. Otherwise they will never remember it was a graduation gift. Both my parents are dead, but I still have the diamond earrings they gave me for graduation (a huge splurge for my frugal parents) and think about them every time I wear them. What is my D19 getting? I had a lot of frequent flyer miles so I asked her last fall if she could go anywhere in the world where would she go? She said Greece. I got the tickets last fall and have been working on budget accommodations to make it a reasonable trip for me.
We went the more sentimental route for our girls’ HS graduation gifts. Each was/will be given a twin-sized t-shirt quilt made of shirt panels from their favorite places and activities. I ordered them through Project Repat. I also ordered each a necklace from Etsy that has our home’s longitude and latitude coordinates stamped on the pendant. Simple, but elegant, and with both attending college out of state and plans for world travel, it is a symbolic reminder of where “home” is.
agree with @19parent about a gift that will last a lifetime. If your kid is somewhat traditional or old school, How about a nice fountain pen?
No to Keurigs. So much plastic waste.
A subscription to a newspaper such as New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, etc. The actual hardcopy, not the electronic version, so that the graduate can have an old time experience.