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Engaged couples, expectant parents and others celebrating a big event now have a tool at their disposal to get exactly what they are looking for: a new Web site called Deposit a Gift.

Deposit a Gift is an online cash gift registry that aims to bring asking for money — rather than presents — into the mainstream.

The Web site was started by Dana Ostomel, 33, a former Moraga resident who had her bat mitzvah at B’nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek and was married to Mark Vogel in a traditional Jewish wedding in Pleasanton in 2008. In fact, it was that wedding that inspired her to start the business, which she runs in New York City.

“Little has changed about registries since they were introduced in the early 1900s, but the way we live has changed significantly,” said Ostomel. “People today need flexibility and cash gives them just that. There are no returns, no space constraints. People can spend the money where they want, when they want.”

Deposit a Gift attempts to eradicate the awkwardness that many people feel in asking for money.

Users make gift registries just like people do with a traditional store registry, using a database of images or by clicking on a pre-made list. They can choose anything, from honeymoons to house down payments, from cribs to college funds.

Guests then choose a gift to purchase, finding the right price point for their budget. They are not actually buying the present, but it feels more personal than sending a check.

The money gets depos-ited into the recipient’s account, and when the user is ready to spend the money, he or she cashes out in the form of a check, a Visa gift card or a direct deposit.

There are Jewish components of the site, as well, Ostomel noted. For example, she said, bat mitzvah girls can save for their first trip to Israel.

“In addition to playing well in today’s fiscally responsible culture, it also has the ability to be a tool of social responsibility and is also a very green concept — second-nature to kids these days,” said Ostomel, who honed her Jewish values as a camper, counselor-in-training and counselor for six years at Camp Swig in Saratoga. “There are no boxes or wrapping paper; no carbon footprint from shipping.”

For more information, visit http://www.depositagift.com or e-mail Dana at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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