The gift of cash

I've always felt like I was cheating when I gave someone cash for a gift, and the same for gift cards.  So I generally try to stay away from gifts like that.  Sometimes, though, a person specifically requests a gift card or cash in order to help buy a special gift that none of us could afford to buy them on our own. In those cases, I feel the need to get a little... creative.

In the past, I've done the gift card-in-the-box-in-the-box-in-the-box-in-the-box gag (good, but the wrapping gets a bit time consuming) and I've placed the gift card into a baggie and then encased it in insulating foam (too mean - it took forever to extract!).  This Christmas, I found a more pertinent direction to go.

My nephew asked for cash this year in order to help him purchase a new gaming computer.   Cash.  Sigh.  Even less personal than a gift card.  But I want to help him achieve his gaming goals (heh), so I agree to go along.  Anyway, long story short, here's the container I came up with to give dear nephew $50 cash toward a souped up computer:

Actually,  I came up with 4 out of the 5 discs for my 1996 HP printer installation software.  On disc one, I carefully cut the corner seam and pulled out the disc.  then I slipped in the $50 bill, positioning it to show the little green starburst through the hole where the disc used to sit (see below).  Then, a tiny piece of clear tape closed the corner without making it too hard to reopen.

JuDee wrapped it up with the note "For your new computer!"  The nephew was a good sport.  He knew something was up, but kept a politely neutral look on his face (with just a hint of horror) while he tried to figure it out.  It took a little encouragement to get him to look over the floppies to notice the telltale sign of cash on the back of disc #1.  Then - smiles!  And he's keeping the floppies, presumably to start his own Museum of Archaic Data Transfer and Storage Technologies.