Is cash tackier than a check?

Question

I am giving $250 for a gift to close friend. Are two $100 bills and a $50 bill in a card okay? It feels tackier than a check for some reason.

Answer 1

As a recent bride, I'd prefer cash any day. Cash you can use immediately whereas a check has to be cashed or deposited. If they're immediately going away for their honeymoon, they might be looking for cash to pad their pockets for the trip!

Answer 2

I think its actually easier then a check having to cash it, but its safer with a  check that if the envelope is lost the check can br stopped while cash is gone

Answer 3

I much preferred getting cash.  While people have mentioned that cards sometimes get stolen, just be sure you have a secure place for people to leave them (a large box that can't be walked off with or opened, that's not near an exit, and preferably very visible all night).  Many people gave us checks made out to John and Jane Smith.  It took a good month for me to get my name changed and a joint bank account opened, so we weren't able to cash or deposit those checks right away.  Cash was much more useful.

Answer 4

that is perfect , that way you don't have to wait for them to cash the check

Answer 5

It sure isn't tacky in my book.  Cash or check...it's all the same....not tacky in the least.  Very generous I might add.

Answer 6

I think it's a generous and great gift in any form, and cash isn't tackier than a check.

I still recommend giving a check for this reason though: there are people out there that steal wedding/graduation/birthday cards from the boxes at the events they attend. I know this is a horrible thing for someone to do, but this has happened at numerous events I've been to.  If you give a check then you can just cancel it and write another one.  

Answer 7

Both are great. But here's what happened to us:

We made sure all of the cards were secured at the reception, so no one would be able to steal anything (not that I would have invited anyone who might do that, honestly).

My husband and I got a couple of checks and a couple of people gave cash. We got married on Saturday (July 26th), and had to leave early Sunday morning (4 am) to get my aunt to the airport. Then we started our honeymoon.

We took the check with us on our honeymoon, and we also took the cash. I was a little worried about taking a lot of cash, but my husband was fine with it, so I said ok. The cash came in extremely handy during our honeymoon in Disneyland and Hawaii. I was SO glad to have it. It will also make it easy for the Thank you cards, when I can write - Thank you for your gift - and what we spent it on. ("Thank you for your gift - we had a wonderful Zip Line Excursion on our honeymoon. It was fantastic!" or whatever.)

Today is August 13, and the checks are still sitting here. We never found a bank where we were able to deposit or cash them while on our honeymoon. I am supposed to take them to the bank today.

By the way, all of our cash was given in $20 bills, which we were very thankful for. While it was a lot of bills, it was so much easier to deal with than $50's or $100's (you can't always find a place to break larger bills). We didn't have to worry about purchasing large items to break larger bills. But $100's and $50's definitely look cool.

Answer 8

"Tacky" is an arbitrary, meaningless term. A gift is a gift, and $250 is $250 in any form. So ultimately it doesn't really matter.  

Answer 9

give a check.  cash is easy to lose or get stolen (it happens, even at weddings).  give a gift card to one of the places they registered for if you don't have a checking account.

Answer 10

A cash gift is impersonal but if you want to give cash then it's safer to send a check. All gifts should be sent to the home of the bride before the wedding.

Answer 11

I think cash is a very bold statement. I think a check is equally as generous but when you open that card and see that green there's just something about it. But like someone else said - there is the chance of losing it. But still, I'd go with the cash.

Answer 12

It's not tacky at all. It's a very generous gift!