Question about gift cards......

cindyc

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Mar 31, 2009
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People are asking about graduation gifts and since they can't bring much with them I was wondering about some ideas for gift cards around the Academy. Thanks!
 
I'm not certain, but I think you can put "credit" directly into their cadet accounts. I also remember reading that there is a Wal-Mart nearby.
 
Shopping and eating in New London has a lot of the typical places.
Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Panera, Ruby Tuesdays, Chili's, Outback. These are some of the more popular and easy for the swabs/4 class to get to during liberty.
 
Also keep in mind the office supply stores for back-to-school items (the exchange & bookstore can get bare at certain times of the year).

Other local places are Applebee's, Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, and Kohl's.
 
...Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Panera, Ruby Tuesdays....

Don't forget there's a Cold Stone Creamery in that shopping center as well!

I always see 2 or 3 4/c cadets in line every time I go there!
 
Don't forget there's a Cold Stone Creamery in that shopping center as well!

I always see 2 or 3 4/c cadets in line every time I go there!

Hopefully not the same 2 or 3 4/c cadets every time! :eek: :wink:


My advice, these gifts are usable, which is great, but save them something special as a gift they can appreciate after Swab Summer.
 
Hopefully not the same 2 or 3 4/c cadets every time! :eek: :wink:


My advice, these gifts are usable, which is great, but save them something special as a gift they can appreciate after Swab Summer.

So...swab summer gifts.....snacks, gatorade mix, cliff bars, pictures, letters. Am I missing anything critical? Sunscreen maybe? Tide sticks? Sheesh, he doesn't use them at home, so why would he start then? :wink:

School year...money, movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, money, oh yeah, and money? Hopefully I am overestimating the need for additional cash. I'm guessing they really won't have much time to spend eating out or going to the movies. The monthly stipend should be enough, is what I've heard. My kid eats A LOT though, so I am guessing we will be hearing his stomach rumbling from here. :wink: He is going to have to get used to eating on a schedule, and not raiding the fridge at all hours. I'll bet most kids will have to adjust to that! But, if that is the worst of it, I'd wager he'd be pretty pleased. Somehow I think the other "adjustments" might be harder to deal with.

I love this board. Such good advice every time I log on.
 
Keep in mind, that first year, he won't have a good deal of time to spend money, but at the same time, most of his paycheck is for uniforms, books, supplies, etc, so he won't be getting much money either.

He'll appreciate anything you get him, but it is nice to look back and say "that's my graduation gift".
 
Spending money at Chilis and Outback is easy to do, as they are within walking distance, as is Campus Pizza and Mr G's.

(I suppose everything is within walking distance if you have the time. :wink: )

PS - Don't worry about your swab not getting enough food or good-quality food - the USCGA has the best food of all the SA's, so say many exchange cadets/mids from the other SA's.

Although a new swab may take a while to master the skill of getting food to their mouth without looking at it, rarely do they go hungry.

(And if they are on a sports team, sometimes they have "team meals" away from the ward room where "eyes-in-the-boat" restrictions are not in force, allowing them to eat like a normal cadet.)

:cool:
 
Spending money at Chilis and Outback is easy to do, as they are within walking distance, as is Campus Pizza and Mr G's.

(I suppose everything is within walking distance if you have the time. :wink: )

PS - Don't worry about your swab not getting enough food or good-quality food - the USCGA has the best food of all the SA's, so say many exchange cadets/mids from the other SA's.

Although a new swab may take a while to master the skill of getting food to their mouth without looking at it, rarely do they go hungry.

(And if they are on a sports team, sometimes they have "team meals" away from the ward room where "eyes-in-the-boat" restrictions are not in force, allowing them to eat like a normal cadet.)

:cool:

Thanks Luigi! Good to know that they will not starve. A mom's gotta worry about something though....:cool:
 
Spending money at Chilis and Outback is easy to do, as they are within walking distance, as is Campus Pizza and Mr G's.

(I suppose everything is within walking distance if you have the time. :wink: )

PS - Don't worry about your swab not getting enough food or good-quality food - the USCGA has the best food of all the SA's, so say many exchange cadets/mids from the other SA's.

Although a new swab may take a while to master the skill of getting food to their mouth without looking at it, rarely do they go hungry.

(And if they are on a sports team, sometimes they have "team meals" away from the ward room where "eyes-in-the-boat" restrictions are not in force, allowing them to eat like a normal cadet.)

:cool:

"Training meals" were very nice, but always pasta.

I didn't know Campus Pizzia was open again, very cool.
 
Keep in mind, that first year, he won't have a good deal of time to spend money, but at the same time, most of his paycheck is for uniforms, books, supplies, etc, so he won't be getting much money either.

He'll appreciate anything you get him, but it is nice to look back and say "that's my graduation gift".

Good point on the grad gift. We got son a nice watch. And a less-nice watch for swab summer. I think we'll wait to send him his nice watch later...if he even wants it at school.

Thanks LITS!
 
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