# Do people still buy savings bonds for kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717 "2008-11-20T21:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/1 "2008-11-20T21:19:23Z")
I’m kicking around the idea of not buying gifts for anyone this year for Christmas - I don’t have an SO, and my immediate family would also not be buying me any gifts. I just don’t need anything and neither do my family members. But, for fun, I thought it would be cool to buy savings bonds for my niece’s kid and my friend’s kid. They’re both 2. I remember when I was a teen I had some savings bonds to cash and it was way cool to have all that money. I think I used it to buy a computer. I’ve been to the savings bond Web site and see that I don’t need to know the kids SSNs to get the bonds. I can just use mine (which will be masked on the bonds themselves). I’d probably give them each $50 a year. But does anyone still do this? I’m not trying to get savings accounts set up for the kids or college funds. Basically this is a scheme to make other people’s kids appreciate me when I am old and alone, so maybe I won’t be SO alone. 🆒 If anyone thinks there’s something more worthwhile I can do, let me know! Or, if you have kids and you like/dislike them getting bonds, tell me too. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/2 "2008-11-20T21:22:12Z")
Every Christmas and on their B-days. A Bond and a small gift. Parents think it is a very good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/3 "2008-11-20T21:47:31Z")
I used to for my nephews. Then one year I overheard my sister-in-law tell her child (in response to what’s that Mom?): You know that thing that uncle Khadaji gets you every year that you kids hate. After that I spent the money on toys-for-tots. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/4 "2008-11-20T21:50:03Z")
My mom gets all of her grandkids (quite a few now) a savings bond for their birthday. It’s pretty much that and a card. She’s a pretty cool grandma so they don’t mind that it’s a present that they can’t play with for years to come. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/5 "2008-11-20T21:59:47Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I used to for my nephews. Then one year I overheard my sister-in-law tell her child (in response to what’s that Mom?): You know that thing that uncle Khadaji gets you every year that you kids hate. > > After that I spent the money on toys-for-tots. Hmm good call on that. I am not actually particularly close to these kids right now, and I don’t buy them Christmas or birthday presents because…uh, because I’m a mean old lady, I guess. They also have grandparents who spoil them rotten so at this stage of the game they wouldn’t even notice if I bought them a toy or not. But their parents are cool enough to tell them that they really do appreciate me sending them savings bonds once or twice a year 🙂 May I ask…what do parents do with savings bonds for kids? I think mine kept mine in their filing cabinet or something. Parents can’t use them, right? ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/6 "2008-11-20T22:15:48Z")
I’ve got a stash of savings bonds in the bank that I’ve received from various relatives over the years. They’re worth about $10k now. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-buy-savings-bonds-for-kids/473717/7 "2008-11-20T22:37:45Z")
> [@hobscrk777](#): > > I’ve got a stash of savings bonds in the bank that I’ve received from various relatives over the years. They’re worth about $10k now. IMO, Depending on the bond, you should probably cash them and re-invest them. I was told that many bonds will only let you earn money on the original principal. If nothing else, you should at least check and see which kind you have.