I’ve been carrying around a secret stash of $431 for months, maybe even years. And no matter how big my credit card bill gets I can’t seem to use this $431. What’s the story?
The $431 is tied up in gift cards. Am I alone? I doubt it.
So to reduce my gift card stash I’m putting up a challenge to use all my gift cards by the end of the year, especially before I spend out of pocket on holiday gifts. It just doesn’t make sense to spend cash when I have a good deal of money tied up in plastic.
For some reason, I am terrible as using gift cards even though I love to receive them. The last two times I got rid of gift cards (totaling $94, mind you) it was because I gave them to friends who were about to shop at these stores.
Here are the gift cards filling up my wallet:
Anthropologie – $91.04. Should be easy to spend as my and my sisters luuuuv their clothes.
CVS – $12.04. Remember to USE it, Julia!
Dollar Tree – $20. There is one two miles from my house, gosh dang it.
Gelsons – $20. I can’t bring myself to shop at this overpriced grocery store.
J. Crew -$211. Time I start a cashmere sweater collection?
Jo Anns – $4.37. Maybe I’ll gift this to a crafty friend of mine.
Marie Callender’s – $10. I could use this to buy a pie for a holiday party.
Old Navy – $12.46. The clearance rack is calling me.
TJ Maxx – $50. BINGO! TJ Maxx is great for gifts because there is a wide range of items for sale.
As an incentive I’m going to take myself out for a fabulous sushi lunch (so much cheaper than dinner) IF I can find meaningful uses for all the gift cards by the end of the year.
What gift cards do you have in your pocket? How much money is on each? And how LONG have you been trying to spend them? Spill it. There’s no point in being shy – blog comments are anonymous!
November 9th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I have a few that need to be used.
-$50 Shane Company ( Jewelry Store)
-$12 Lowes
-$25 Target
November 9th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Your list is not so bad. I wouldn’t have any trouble using a gift card at Target.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Just last week I finally used a Pick Up Stix card that I’ve been carrying around for a year or two – I had never used it because I thought it was a $5 gift card and it seemed silly to go somewhere I never go to get $5 off… well, it turned out to be a $25 gift card!! So I had lunch and gave it to my husband and daughter to go there for dinner!!! (Now it’s $1.70 and it will go back into my wallet for another 2 years but it was a fun surprise!) Now I just have to use up my Macy’s, Baja Fresh, Johnny Rockets, Baskin Robbins, Blockbuster and Jamba Juice!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
http://www.plasticjungle.com you can probably get those cards to someone who really will use them and get cash
November 9th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Here’s my latest gift card story – I really, really wanted a pair of Uggs, so I traded $100 Target gift card for a new pair that my friend was selling on ebay (she had overspent and was feeling remorseful, so she just wanted to get rid of them).
She gave me $30 cash back. I thought it was a good trade!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Two Amadeus Salons & Spas GC totaling $125. I’ve had them for years! What is wrong with me, who doesn’t want a massage or facial.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
or there are always gift card exchange sites like plasticjungle.com where you can buy, sell or trade gift cards.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I only have 1 $20 gift card to Old Navy….. But I just had to ask, how did you get a $211 gift card?!?!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Good question, Victoria! I had an old J.Crew gift card with just a few dollars left on it and then my very generous sister gave me a new gift card. I haven’t spent $211 at one store in so long I’m hiding it away for a rainy day! Another reason I haven’t spent it is that online JCrew has great sales but I’m picky about trying things on first. In the store the sale selection is not great. I just can’t bear to pay full price even if it is not my money!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I have about $4 left on a Jamba Juice card. It still means I gotta spend money to use it and the drinks have SO MUCH sugar!
Christmas coming means 3-4 more cards… If only I could convince people to give me Amazon credit [very useful] vs. World Market [the nemesis for a clutterer personality type].
November 9th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Use the Gelsens card at their bakery for a very special desert to bring to a holiday party… or some gorgeous fruit… the same idea.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I’ve had a revolving wallet of 3-5 Nordstrom gift cards for the past 5 years. I keep getting them from my in-laws every Christmas. It’s a really nice gift but Nordstrom’s not really my style. I spend the whole year searching for something to spend the gift card on. I usually don’t use up the whole card then I get a brand new one the following Christmas!
November 9th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I don’t have any unused gift cards. I had one at Michael’s that I got about a month ago, and I used it up on Saturday. I don’t really like giving or receiving gift cards because it seems like exchanging money that is good anywhere for money that is only good at one store.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Dee, why not pass on the gift card as a gift to someone who loves Nordstrom? But how can you not love their shoe department???
November 9th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Tamara, does that mean you give cash as gifts? Or do you always give an actual gift?
November 9th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I had over $200 in gift cards from Bloomingales and so I treated myself to a Cuisinart food processor, a blender, and a $100 gift card from Macy’s so I bought some Fiestaware in the new color for last year (I love Fiestaware) I had been carrying those cards around for a couple of years and finally decided to get something that I really wanted for myself. I even wrapped them up and put them under my tiny Christmas tree (no kidding).
Hey, I’ll take the Gelson’s gift card (just kidding).
November 9th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
For those gift cards with just a little left:
Effective January 1, 2008, “any gift certificate with a cash value of less than ten dollars ($10) is redeemable in cash for its cash value” (CA SB 250, approved by the governor and filed Oct 13, 2007).
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0201-0250/sb_250_bill_20071013_chaptered.pdf
You may need to bring a print out with you to the store as I have run into store managers who are unaware of the law.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Use the Gelson’s card for the Wolfgang Puck inside the store. The sandwiches are delicious and huge, so is the half pizza and salad deal. It’s more than enough for two people to share and could qualify as a Lincoln Lunch.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Great suggestion, Debra! I may well use it this way – maybe take a friend out to lunch!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
You have so many readers out here in cyberspace. I’m sure someone would be willing to trade with you or buy your cards. Just saying. . .
I usually get a chance to give my family and friends requests, because we’ve all had the same difficulty with gift cards.
Hey, how about a gift card swap party? Could be fun.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:26 am
I had a bunch of gift cards in my wallet…. that got stolen a couple of months ago. I just realized it now, as I’m adding to the total of what I lost. So don’t leave those things in there too long! The worst part is they probably just got thrown away in the end.
My suggestions for the JCrew card are: a) that you can either go there and pull a Winona Ryder from Reality Bites (this one may leave the most guilt feelings, and requires you to cozy up to strangers) and buy stuff for someone who is shopping anyway, and have them give you the money, b) you could sell it to someone who likes to shop there, at a 5-10% discount (i.e. find someone willing to buy it from you for $175, and everyone wins), or c) buy stuff that looks cute online, try it on at home, and if you don’t like it, that will get you off your butt to go into a store to return it, and you might find something you like (just watch out for clearance items that can’t be returned).
November 10th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I see no one mentioned the possibility of the gift cards having no value if the store goes out of business! In this economy it is happening quite often, Use those cards, Julia!
November 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Bargainbabe: I do love Nordstrom’s shoe department but with a 6yo and a 3yo I find I wear the same four pairs of shoes and all the others sit in the closet especially the heels. I’ve traded the gift card with my husband, who loves Nordstrom, in the past but that only works when he gets a gift card I can use. I was inspired by this post and checked out the half yearly sale online. Bought myself new running shoes and new walking shoes. Still didn’t use up the whole card and have two others with partial balances but it’s a start. Wish I knew someone else to gift it to but I don’t. One year I bought other people Christmas gifts with it then bought myself something in another store for the equivalent amount. We’ve done that with other gift cards too.
Didn’t know about the under $10 law. Will take advantage of this in the future. Thanks Melissa!
November 11th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I believe that in California you are still entitled to cash in your gift cards. I did that a few years back with a card for a store that I needed nothing from. You may have to wait for the store to issue you a check in the mail but it can be done.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I found two gift cards in my wallet. One is from a national chain that has no stores near where I live or work (gift from an out of state relative) and the other is from a store that went out of business just after last Christmas (when I got it). Luckily I used one from a local restaurant just before it went out of business, and just used another from a store that doesn’t look like it will survive much longer.
November 15th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Thanks for the reminder! I finally used my Target card; discovered I still have $1.91 on a Barnes & Noble card, $14 on a AmEX card, and a full $100 Sears card we got from our credit card company – I need some things from K-Mart! I learned the hard way about using cards before the company went out of business – we had a $50 card from Steak & Ale!
December 7th, 2009 at 10:42 am
[...] self-imposed gift card challenge – spend all 9 of my cards worth $431 before the new year – is not going so well. One [...]