Advice Please - Addison,IL

I would send them a gift card for dinner out and offer to keep their kids. Make them a meal & invite them over for it.

Since you saved quite a bit of cash by staying there, I'd contribute in the form of a gift card...something everyone needs. You now know where they grocery shop - what could be more practical or necessary than that? I'd say a gift card to either Target or their fave grocery store for $150-200. Their bills won't be that much higher with you guys in the house for only 2 weeks so I don't think you need to give them cash for that necessarily, other than food you consumed which you probably already split the bills for. Then also you could do something personal for the wife (mani/pedi) and the husband (case of his favorite beer or bag of his favorite coffee). They will appreciate anything you do!

Post Hurricane Katrina I had a friend and her son stay with my son and I (in our 2 bedroom apartment). They were with me for several months while her hubby worked out of town. Once housing stabilized in our area they found an apartment. Anyhoo, they sent me a thank you card, a small gift and tucked a check into it all. I sooooo did not cash the check. LOL I didn't have her stay with me expecting any compensation. She helped out with groceries, and around the apartment, etc. More than she needed - I started to actually hide my laundry I felt so bad about it.

Long way around the bushes to say - while cash is nice, it sometimes makes us feel like a hotel - your friends did not welcome you into their home expecting you to pay them. Maybe, instead of cash, do gift cards - I like the idea of a grocery one, but also toss in a restaurant, a movie theater or other entertainment venue that their whole family could enjoy.

And make sure to invite them over for a lovely meal at your new house.

God Bless

Do these friends have kids? If so, how about a museum/zoo/arboretum/park district pool pass?

So nice of you to even think past saying thanks. So many people just dont. I vote for a little gift basket with gift cards for a couple restaurants, and grocery stores, and maybe something fun the kids like to do. Also, what did you use while there that you could replace? What type of soap do they use in the showers? What brand of dishwasher soap, and laundry soap, and softener? A pack of light bulbs in the wattage of the lamp in the room you slept in. A nice set of bath towels that match their decor to replace any that may be old and ratty. I bet they will be happy with any of those.
added:: I just put a new roll of toilet paper in my hall bath. Seems like when my daughter comes to visit, and now that grand daughter is potty trained, we go thru way more than 1 roll a day in there. You might buy them whatever brand of tp they use too!

I would love it my friends stayed with us for a couple weeks if they were in a bind.

Since YOU have been "hoteling" at their house. How about you take their kids for an extended weekend and make them a sign that says "No Vacancies" to hang on their front door and give them movie tickets and a dinner gift card for them to use while they are home alone. I would prefer that over money any day!!

A simple thank you card expressing the fun you had at their home and stating how much you appeciate their hospitality and friendship with maybe something for their home that they have been wanting.

Give them a card with some money to compensate the inflated utility/food bills and invite them over for a delicious home cooked meal and tour of your home. Give them a couple menu choices and cook what they chose...kind of fun!

Enjoy your new home!!! That is exciting(and exhausting and stressful...)

I agree about taking them out (or bringing food in and cleaning up afterwards). Then maybe a gift card to the movies or a nice bottle of wine. Obviously they wanted to help you do this so you could save money but they would not want you to spend all that savings on a gift for them!

If you have energy you could cook them a nice meal.. or take them out to dinner.

The money is up to you...

I agree with taking their kids for a night so they can have a date night. You may also do a thank you bbq at your new house so they don't have anything to clean up afterwards. Is there something that they are wanting or needing for their house?

If they have kids, what about giving the parents a gift card for a nice evening out (dinner and a movie, so maybe $50 for a restaurant and $25 for a movie theater) and you offer to babysit the kids? Or tickets/gift cards to something fun they could do as a family that maybe they normally wouldn't do?
They are your friends, so they probably aren't expecting anything. I would definitely write a nice thank you note to go with whatever you do.
It's sweet (not to mention a good example to your kids) to want to do something to show your appreciation.

Not sure if you are planning on giving them cash but what about a gift card for the grocery store. Then again, cash is cool.

I have never had friends stay as long as two weeks but I did have friends stay for four days while their house was without power due to a storm. Thing is the kind of person who lets you stay like that doesn't really expect something in return. It is more like gravy. If they had offered me money I would not have accepted it.

In your case I think a private house warming party would be really nice. Even if the new house isn't much it is new. Private tour, home cooked meal. That would be really neat!

Do you know of anything that they have been needing or wanting? (like a new patio set, or play structure for their kids) Or is there anything that you noticed while you stayed with them that could use repair or replacement? (like the washer and dryer, or the oven doesn't hold it's temperature, the tv was on the fritz) I am not sure how much you are considering spending. But those are the first things that come to my mind. Or maybe send them on a little family vacation?? I don't know how many people are in their family.....that could get pretty costly......

wow, what kind nice people! If they have a house, what if you buy them something for their house-like towels, or a soft cuddly furry blanket, a cloth gazebo for a summertime party or just plain old make a wonderful dinner one day. Sounds like the kind of friends we are all yearning for and congrats on your new house!

The more the better. Think about what you would expect if your hosted a family for two weeks. And be realistic. Most people's knee jerk is: I don't want anything in return, but in reality we all like knowing we're appreciated. I would spend up to $300 on a gift for them. Think of the amount of the gift as a percentage of the money you saved by not staying in a hotel. I recommend a gift value equal to 10% to 20% of what you saved. You have awesome friends!

When staying there did you notice anything that they needed or wanted? Anything that you thought "oh, it would be so nice if only they had X"? Otherwise I always think "experience" gifts are the way to go - a zoo membership, gift certificates to treat the whole family to a movie and snacks, an amusement park, etc.

I like the idea of a family pass to something cool, a zoo, a local amusement/water park, etc., but I'd want to be sure it was something they'd love, and have the time to use.

A gift card, or an assortment of them would be cool too... maybe one to a grocery store, one for a meal out, one for a mani pedi, one for the man store, just an assortment of gc's to places they'd use and enjoy up to the amount you think you should spend on them.

I'd also have them over for a private party hosted by your family as soon as your new digs are up to par for company!

If it were me, I'd probably want to give at least $100 per week? Maybe more if whatever I decided to gift them cost a more...

Very kind of you to want to give back to them...