Progressive Dinner

• A progressive dinner is the answer when several family members want to honor the graduate with a party or when several graduates want to celebrate on the same evening. Set up a dinner to be served at four people's homes. The first home will feature an appetizer. The second home will feature a salad. The third home will offer a main course. The final home will provide a dessert. This keeps costs down per party-thrower and also provides for an exciting and entertaining evening that graduates will love.
  
  

Luncheon

• Throw an elegant luncheon to celebrate the graduate's achievement. Hold it at your house and make the food yourself or cater the affair with food from the graduate's favorite restaurant. If it's in your budget, host the event at a special restaurant in a private room. Don't worry about decorations. This is a classy affair, so fresh floral centerpieces are all that's necessary. Invite the graduate's friends and family, as well as the teachers who've helped the graduate along the way. After a toast to the graduate, ask her to express her thanks to the party-goers who've made a difference in her life, and share stories of their contributions.
  
  

Affordable Gifts

• Graduates appreciate gifts of all kinds. Give yours an affordable gift by thinking of something he could really use. If he's a high-school graduate, give him something for his new dorm room, such as a small microwave or refrigerator. You can find both for less than $50. College grads will appreciate gifts to help them look like the young professionals they're about to become. Give them monogrammed shirts, stationery and briefcases.
  
  

Ultimate Gifts

• For the larger gift budget, spring for something the graduate can't afford. Consider a fabulous all-expenses vacation for two. A spa weekend in a lush locale is a great idea, such as the Ritz Carlton's Eau Spa in Palm Beach, Florida. All graduates love wheels, so the big spender can get the grad a new car. Any new ride will make a world of difference, especially to a graduate who doesn't have a car. The gift card is a quaint idea, but it becomes an ultimate gift when it's a thousand-dollar shopping spree to the graduate's favorite store. This is especially helpful for high-school grads who need electronic gadgets and college grads who need a new professional wardrobe.