Fun With Gift Cards-Not Just For The Last Minute Gift Anymore!

Do you use gift cards? Do you gift them? Do you ask for them? Do you put them in a drawer and forget you have them?
I confess to having a preference for actual wrap them up and hand them over gifts when I'm the giver. But when I'm the receiver I love gift cards. Now, I like the thought and effort required by giving just the right gift and I'm one of those people who pretty much love anything a friend or family member chooses to give me. But there is something to be said for the fact that no one knows you better than you know yourself. (Now I will also confess that when I get a gift card I tend to hoard them. I check for expiration dates and save them for the next Christmas if they don't expire before then!)

OK, yes, I admit it. I'm a gift card hoarder.

There are times when only a gift card will do. If you have a friend who loves Starbucks more than pretty much anything, well...you can't exactly wrap up a frappuccino now can you? But a Starbucks gift card is a gift you know they'll love. Know someone who loves to eat at a particular restaurant? A gift card is a great way to give them a night out. 

There are also some great benefits to giving gift cards. I recall one year when I was on the hunt for a new television. My local grocery store was offering 10% off on all gift cards when you purchased them with your rewards card. I picked out the television I wanted from Best Buy and figured out the exact price with tax. I then went to the grocery store to buy that amount in gift cards at 10% off.. The story does get a little funny...when I arrived they were out of $100 Best Buy cards. I had to buy enough $15 gift cards to purchase a $700 plus television. If you do the math, that means yes, I walked into Best Buy with 47 gift cards. But hey, my TV was suddenly 10% off. That is a win! (And as an extra bonus-I got money back from the rewards program at my grocery store. Yay!)

Then there are the teenagers...oh, teenagers. I love my teenage niece...I do. But what do you buy for her at Christmas and birthdays? Gift cards have been my go-to gift for years now. When in doubt Amazon and iTunes are sure to please gift card selections. And my dear nephew is getting older, too. Pretty soon he's going to be in the same position. Luckily he's getting an iTouch for Christmas. I know iTunes will make him smile as well.

Are you giving any gift cards this year? What stores are your favorites for gift cards?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Gift Cards Rock blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.