Cousin just got her first apartment. No furniture. I have $250 to give her a gift. What would you buy? (TV, box)

[Nerys52SoSilver]

I looked at the USA Ikea
here is what one could buy with the USD 250.00
Lack coffee table usd 24.99
Gersby bookcase 24.99
Tolerant wok pan 9.99
Elly dishtowels 4-pack 3.99
Alvine Spets lace curtains one pair 12.99
Malm's 3-drawer chest 89.99
3 bath towels Afjard each 7.99 total 23.99
Kavalkad frying pan 4.99
Fargrik dinnerware set white stoneware 18 pieces 19.99
Blanksjon bath mat 7.99
Pokal glasses 6 pack 2.99
2 Scented candle in glass @ 1.79 total 3.58
Henrika throw 16.90
Total 246.83

[Exclt]

I think cash is always appropriate.

[prospectheightsresident]

Originally Posted by aquietpath

Cash is best. Your cousin can furnish her apartment from the thrift store very nicely with $250. Make a day of it and hit several stores. Craigslist is another choice, especially the "free" section. Lots of folks bought new furniture and just want the older stuff taken away. Maybe $200 for the furniture and the other $50 to rent a small u-haul for a few hours to pick everything up?

BTW, I lived with a card table for my dining table for months. Covered with a nice tablecloth, it was perfectly fine and served its purpose.

I agree. Cash or a debit gift card.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks

This idea is so much better than a lame gift card. To me, a gift card says "I don't care enough about you to spend the time to really consider what you'd like, so go shopping for yourself." Taking her out to buy something specific is so much nicer, and you will get to have a fun day together.

Yes, it would be fun to go out shopping and the OP is extremely generous. The cousin is one lucky person!

But a gift card is never "lame", especially when someone is moving into a new place. Three weeks or three months down the road, the cousin may realize she needs something that she didn't think about when she moved in. And wouldn't a gift card be nice when she realizes she wants a stock pot or a toaster or some household tools?

So I'd take her shopping with $200 of the $250 budget, and give her a card to a general merchandise store for the balance, when she can get what she needs later.

[deeni]

Gift card or cash. She will pretty quickly find things that she "urgently" needs and will be grateful to have the cash to buy it.

[Pammy87]

Gift cards: Target, Home Goods, Crate and Barrel.

[RogueMom]

When I got my first home, way back in the mid-1980's, I was given a set of good quality, stainless steel pots and pans. Those pots have been the one thing I have carried with me and still own through the years, through many more a move, and many homes since then. I believe mine are Faberware.

As for furniture, why not treat her to lunch out and a day of "thrifting". Old furniture is often better quality then new. My daughter has furnished her home beautifully with tasteful, well made thrift store finds - it looks magazine quality.

[magicturtle]

It depends.

A lot of people think furniture is important, but if you are really hurting for other things you can get by with little to no furniture. The money might be needed to buy groceries.

I love IKEA, but I think it can be expensive compared to wayfair.com and overstock.com

[aliceacrasperfolk]

I am elderly now and only gift cash or a gift card I know they want. I have given gifts and gotten gifts so many times that were a waste of money I am not doing it again. I gave my great nephew $300 cash for Christmas told him it was paper gift cards, he is a college student, easy to take back to school, I gave him $200 cash for back to school told him to buy peanut butter with it so he doesn't starve, last year he was eating peanut butter sandwiches without jelly because he couldn't afford jelly but was thrilled when his mom and grandma got him jelly.

I think helping her find used furniture and hold hold items is great as is cash. College kids toss furniture when they move home so our students just find it on the streets free.

Ask for what she needs of Facebook groups some will give away furniture and things if they are down sizing. We have buy nothing groups where everyone shares.

[Ottawa2011]

A gift card for someplace where she can get household items sounds good. $250 would go a very long way towards buying the sorts of household things that she'll need... dishes, pots and pans, towels, bedding, cleaning supplies, and so on. Very generous of you, I might add!