I am getting nickeled and dimed to death. This semester we have three separate clinical rotations. It always seems to be $10 for the CI gift/gift card, then another $5 to $10 for treats (donuts, cookies, etc.) for the staff. This semester I'll be lucky if I get by with $45. Let me be clear, I appreciate what these folks do, but I'm in school and my family is strapped. I'm not cheap, just broke. Sometimes I skip lunch because I don't have $3.50 to spend at the cafeteria.
I'd prefer just to give a token gift and a heartfelt note and photo of the group. Some of the CIs are very aware of our limited finances and actually beg us not to get a pricey gift, but at the end of rotation, here I am coughing up another $15...