How Much Do You Spend for a Classmate's Birthday?

Plenty. We spend between $15-20 on party gifts. I do find it odd the kid asked for gift cards thought, was that on the invite? If so that is incredibly rude and could effect the amount I put on it.

In my opinion, that's too much. A lot of people wouldn't be able to reciprocate with such a generous gift, and it would make them feel bad. I mean, kudos to you for being generous...but honestly, I would spend five. I mean, how many b-day parties could you potentially be invited to?

$5 to $10. Really gift cards for a 5 year old... what a weird request. You almost end up spending more on a gift card b/c you can't shop around for good deals on gifts.

I do $10 for birthdays for friends unless it is a best friend. then we might do a little more.

Holy cow you are nice! $10 is my limit.

I spend around 10 a little more if it's for a good friend

You are very generous. I also give $10-$15 ish.

$10 limit on everybody but immediate family. They get $20 ;)

Seems like plenty and to be sure, it's the mom/dad who want the gift cards and I find it incredibly tacky to ask for one...

I agree, I usually only give $10... she'll love that...

I think that's PLENTY!!!

At 5 - $20 goes a LONG way!!! At least it does for me. Personally - if the child isn't a VERY good friend, I usually spend $10 to $15.

We have 3 friends that I will spend as much as $50 or more on..but we've known them forever and they are like family.

Classmates - $10 to $15 - no more than $20.

I normally give $20, and my daughter would add some money on her own, at that age was just $2 or so (normally for the raping paper or the bag, lol), but I have never have a kid that age asking for a gift card, I guess times are changing?

Oh, wow, that's more than enough! Especially if it's not a best friend. I would have just done $5. Gift cards are such a waste. They do have time limits on the funds and the longer they go, the less they're worth. I know people think they're such a great idea but they're only offered because the industry makes so much money on the ones that are never used, lost, etc. They actually asked for that on the invite? How rude.

We're pretty thrifty so we usually just hit a good sale or even a thrift store to purchase gifts. We're very careful to buy gifts that are in really good condition. But that's the type of community we live in. People are always more impressed if the item is either thrift store or even homemade out of something repurposed. My children usually only spend their allowances on the gifts and they rarely spend more than a few dollars even buying the gift bag & card (I really do love Salvation Army).

Update: In response to Kristin M., I hadn't known that law had passed. I'm glad to hear it. However, I did some digging on it and there are still a few loopholes you have to look out for when buying giftcards now, especially with them still switching over to the new format & laws. I still say they're not really worth it, especially if you have a card for a store you don't use. They're still allowed to charge fees to switch the funds to a new store or to retrieve them period. There are also still fees when you buy the card, over and above the purchase amount. These laws also apply only to certain types of gift cards.

I go $10-20 depending how good a friends the kids are.

At 5 years old I would think that is more than enough. I prolly would have only done a $10 gift card.

i try to keep it at $10 if i can. that goes for family too, unless it's an older child and you can't really get away with that anymore. however, i have a ton of kids in my family so we'd be shelling out a bunch of money for birthdays if we went any higher.

$10-$15 for classmates. If its a best friend or a child of one of my close friends, I do more (like $20-$30).

I try to at least cover the cost of my child for the party. I figure that most kid's parties, even ones at home, cost around $10-$15/kid, so then we're sort of even- if that makes sense.

I usually spend about $10 if it's just a classmate birthday party (not a close friend). For a closer friend I would spend a little more, maybe $15 - $20.

I think about $20 - $30 is appropriate. If you have ever thrown a birthday party you know it costs you about $12 - $15 for each guest. I try to cover that cost and then add a present amount. That is how I come up with $10 - $30. $30 for a close friend and closer to $20 for a classmate my child doesn't really play with.

As a response to a reply below. It is now illegal for the gift cards to have a limit on them before they start deduction $ off of them. It's a new law that has been passed.

I do 15-20 dollars.

Yep-that is a good amount.

Seriously!!!!???? I think you over spent! AND I think its VERY tacky for a child to ASK for gift cards! Greedy and impersonal. A gift is something you pick out for the kid, not a chance to build up a money stockpile! What is wrong with parents here?!

That's more than enough. Hope your child has fun!

Yep! Perfect, IMO.

~I put a limit of $20 on the actual 'gift' then you gotta get the card + bag/paper...I always thought this was more than generous enough.

I would have only gotten 10 personally so I think that is more than enough

THAT is a very nice gift!