Cash gifts come with strings

All monetary gifts come with strings.

That is, the ones given while the giver is still breathing and not as an inheritance.

Of course this is not everybody, but I’m always suspicious when things are “free” without a catch.

Maybe they say they don’t when they give you the money but they are subtly hoping you’re not going to “waste” it.

You know, use it for a down payment or to get a new car, something USEFUL and PRACTICAL, not using the money to jet set around the world, bar hopping.

And if you don’t use it in the way they intend you to use it, they may feel annoyed and show it in subtle ways, conscious or not.

They may make comments like: Going on a trip again!? I thought you were going to pay for that job certification you said was so expensive!!

The problem with money gifts as well is the expectations that come with one upgrade.

Let’s say it was to renovate a kitchen. Suddenly, in contrast the bathroom looks dingy. You need a new couch. Before you know it, the budget has expanded beyond the initial gift, however well intended.

Or maybe the cash gift was from a lover. Sugar Daddy and Baby relationships exist, and if they give you the money for whatever reason — rent, surgery, bills — there is a continued expectation for the receiver to be grateful for the money. Not that it didn’t exist before, but there is a possibly heightened sense of entitlement that may not have existed before said gift.

I’m never one to say to turn down a cash gift, but before you accept it, you should consider what it means and what the giver’s intentions are.

Have you ever received a cash gift?