Love/Hate gift cards

[Aidensmom]

I love them. To be honest, I prefer them over actual gifts. Target is one of my favorite, there is such a variety of things to spend it on.

ETA: My husband usually gets me a few different ones for Christmas, I'm not offended nor do I find them impersonal. And he knows that, he knows that I love them.

 

[Cindy B]

I don't care either. I will use the no matter what. If I wind up with Barnes and Noble ones, I will use them to buy textbooks. If I get Target or something like that, I will use it for mostly anything.

 

[MoniqueU]

I thought it was real personal when my MIL got me one from Coach last year. I sure didn't have any problems with that, I was thrilled. I got my oldest daughter some amex gift cards for her birthday and some from the local mall for Christmas. She LOVES to shop. It doesn't matter what it is for she loves shopping so for her it is a good gift. Others I don't feel as comfortable giving them but I will if I get stuck and can't think of something.

 

[Mkrop]

Last year, dd9's 3rd grade class put on a production of "Annie" for charity. To raise even more money, the parents organized a raffle for gift baskets. One of the baskets, which we won contained over $200 in gift certificates and gift cards to local restaurants.

We haven't used any of them

What? Why Not? You dont eat? You dont buy presents for other people Why would you particiapte in a raffle like that if you dont want to use the gifts cards? Why didnt you donate it back like people do with 50/50 money? Why didnt you take the raffle basket and donate it to a local shelter or somewhere?

As someone who has busted her butt soliciting local businesses to raise money for the school, I am sure that was a lot of work on the parents part.

I think you just have a strange issue with gift cards. Please if some of them have not expired yet, please pass them on. That is either someone';s hard work or money sitting there.

Oh I am so frustrated right now thinking of all the running around I did and if someone treated the prize like that ( a really good prize and there have been crappy ones) I would be som bummed. The business donate in good faith that we will bring in business, that this will help them. Ugh!

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

I love getting and giving gift cards. If someone gives me me money or a check, we use it to pay bills. If I get a gift card, I could use it guilt free on myself.

Also, my family members never will say what they want. I can take a guess, but most gifts just add clutter for people. Everyone has their own tastes. Gift cards give them a chance to pick what they want. And they don't even have to leave the house, just go online.

 

[cinmell]

I love to give and receive gift cards!!!!!!

 

[GJM]

Love, Love, Love, gift cards, any kind!

That makes me sick knowing about the $200 in gift cards and them not being used. I won a prize at a Tricky Tray one time, I must have put my ticket in the wrong bowl. It was a frame with about $200 worth of gift cards to different restaurants, they weren't that close to my house, but we made sure we used them.

Anyone can send their gift cards to me also!

 

[Snow_White]

I'd much rather get a Target gift card than a card to Best Buy or a specialty store. At least I can buy something I actually need at Target. I'd also much rather get a gift card than a present that I don't need/want! If you have any expiring gift cards laying around, please send them my way Babies are expensive!! lol.

 

[leafette]

I love them. To be honest, I prefer them over actual gifts. Target is one of my favorite, there is such a variety of things to spend it on.

ETA: My husband usually gets me a few different ones for Christmas, I'm not offended nor do I find them impersonal. And he knows that, he knows that I love them.

I agree with you. One of the best gifts I have ever gotten from my husband was a collection of gift cards, designed to give me a day to myself: one for my salon, one for Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc. He then agreed to watch the kids so I could go and spend them. There was nothing impersonal about that--he really thought about what I would like to do!

 

[nhrenee]

Love gift cards for "special" places. Starbucks, body shop, dunkin donuts, etc. Place I enjoy but don't normally spend $ on myself at.

 

[DLBDS]

I love them. If I still have them the following Christmas, I'll usually use them to save myself money on gifts for other folks. Not really how they were intended to be used but hey, they're mine to do with as I please.

 

[ASFCurly]

For some strange reason, I hate to GIVE gift cards, but I LOVE to receive them.

I just feel like when I give someone a gift card, I've given up. It's like I couldn't hold out to find that one perfect gift I know they'll love, so I'm giving them today's equivalent of a check in an envelope.

BUT, I don't feel like someone's given up on me when they buy one for me! I'm like "Oh cool, spouse! Let's hit the mall!"

What's WRONG with me??? I can see the inconsistency, yet I don't care.

Maybe if you make a special decorated envelope, or get a little thing you know they will like but is cheap to put with the GC you would feel better about it

 

[auntie]

I like gift cards. I also find my kids love getting them from their Aunts and Uncles rather than gifts. Especially teenagers..they are difficult to buy for, and I think you are WAY better off with a gift card where they pick something out for themselves. I know my kids love them. There are so many choices now. Even if you just get one for the mall they can use it in any store. Some malls used to charge a fee, however the one near us doesn't do that any longer, so the card is a great gift.
Even an Itunes gift card..since most of the teens have Ipods..I've found the cousins like those. Oh..and the girls love the gift cards to Ulta..the beauty supply. Nothing like a teenage girl and a store full of make up and hair products!

 

[actionvaughn]

Gift cards are great cause, hey money to buy what I please? Awesome. What kinda bugs me is the how impersonal it is... $20 at Target is nice, but a $10 DVD I've been looking for for a long time would be more valuable to me..

Gift cards and I are confused about each other at the moment.

 

[Piecey]

I don't mind getting them, but I don't give them. Ever.

..I'm a bargain shopper so I don't like people to know how much I'm spending on them. It's usually not that much!
Example: Had Christmas with my best friend tonight. Anywhere you buy what I got her you'd pay $20. I got it for $10 as a black friday door buster.
Also, got a Bath and Body Works lotion. But.. I had a coupon to get free lip gloss with any purchase!!! ($7.50 value!)

So I saved $10 by not just giving her the gift card to go buy the gift herself, and I got a free lipgloss!

 

[powellrj]

I don't mind getting them, but I don't give them. Ever.

..I'm a bargain shopper so I don't like people to know how much I'm spending on them. It's usually not that much!
Example: Had Christmas with my best friend tonight. Anywhere you buy what I got her you'd pay $20. I got it for $10 as a black friday door buster.
Also, got a Bath and Body Works lotion. But.. I had a coupon to get free lip gloss with any purchase!!! ($7.50 value!)

So I saved $10 by not just giving her the gift card to go buy the gift herself, and I got a free lipgloss!

Its great if you know what the person wants, but my DMIL gave me bath and body works for the last several years for christmas and they were always things I couldn't use. She gave me scents I didn't like or items I never used so I would just end up giving them away to different charities. I would rather have the gift cards to get something I would use. For some reason at 48, she thought I would enjoy the American Girl line of items ( I gave those to DD or the Carmel Corn things which went to charity)

I don't mind gift cards when they are for places we have locally, but several times we have been given cards to places we don't have and then I have to drive a distance to use the cards. I doesn't make much sense to drive 90 minutes to use a $20 gift card.

I think more can be used on-line, but I know when they first came out the kids would get them and we couldn't use them on-line and then we would have to look for the store to use them at.

 

[jekajekalynn]

I LOVE gift cards . My faves are ones to clothing stores and DSW.

 

[Charade]

I don't care for them because you usually spend less (with a small balance left on the card) or more (more money out of your pocket) than the value of the card. I'd rather have the cash or a real present.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I love them because it forces me to go buy something that I normally wouldn't for myself because I hate to spend money on myself but I hate them because the practical side of me would rather have the money to put towrds a bill. Not very fun huh?

 

[Oreo Cookie]

I don't care for them because you usually spend less (with a small balance left on the card) or more (more money out of your pocket) than the value of the card. I'd rather have the cash or a real present.

I agree.

I've always used the gift cards I've received, but there's usually a small balance left, or I spend more than the amount of the gift card. I appreciate the thought though.

I remember that there was a news story about what a boom gift cards are for companies. Something like 8 billion dollars worth of gift cards are never redeemed. That's amazing to me. I think of them as cash for a specific store/mall, or restaurant and plan ahead to spend it, so that they are used.