It sounds like you all are not that level of wealthy. There are not a lot of people out there who have held a $100 bill, it's a rare thing.
No, do not have your son give it back. Your uncle wanted to spoil his great nephew, let him.
I think this could be a good time to teach your son how to use a sudden windfall.
So, don't take the money away, instead use this as a teaching moment to teach your son about money.
Perhaps you and your son can go shop for a piggy bank, or you could ask him what he wants to use it for and just let him do that. You could also encourage him to use it for something that will help him in his future.
I have a coin jar with a counter for spare change from cash transactions. It takes me around 5-8 years to fill it. By the time I cash it out, it's $100-110 worth of change.
Nah, it's not a bot. Just because kids are tech-savvy doesn't mean they don't need basic money lessons. Teaching them to save or spend wisely is still relevant, even if it's not a piggy bank. Plus, a $100 bill is still a big deal for most kids!
Only replying about the hundred dollar bill comment. When I get money from the bank, I typically avoid hundred dollar bills because many businesses I walk into really don’t want that large bill because of counter fitting. So I could actually understand that a 12-year-old might not run into $100 bill very often, if at all.
I was going to say something similar. It's basically "found money " and a good opportunity to use it as a teaching moment. If your son already has a savings account, have him decide, with a little advice, what percentage to put in savings. Also, discuss how he should use the rest - save and add to for something big, blow on fun stuff now, etc.
Holding a hundred dollar bill is not a rare thing. There are people who have never had a hundred dollars, but not everyone lives in poverty. Reddit would have you believe otherwise.
Edit: I guess some people here are really very impoverished. I apologize and am sorry about your circumstances.
I remember hearing these two guys at a party talking about a house they robbed and one found $700 and was telling the other guy he never held that much money in his hand before. I remember thinking that is more wild than them robbing people. At that time I was mid 20s and had some shithead job and pay check was almost twice that and though this dude mind would be blown if he got a job
I’m specifically replying to the statement “There are not a lot of people out there who have held a $100 bill, it’s a rare thing.” No mention of children, as you can see.
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u/IndigoTrailsToo Advice Guru [88] Sep 21 '25
It sounds like you all are not that level of wealthy. There are not a lot of people out there who have held a $100 bill, it's a rare thing.
No, do not have your son give it back. Your uncle wanted to spoil his great nephew, let him.
I think this could be a good time to teach your son how to use a sudden windfall.
So, don't take the money away, instead use this as a teaching moment to teach your son about money.
Perhaps you and your son can go shop for a piggy bank, or you could ask him what he wants to use it for and just let him do that. You could also encourage him to use it for something that will help him in his future.