Work gift exchange

[BrianL]

For me, if someone just gave me cash as a gift, I am going to be more likely to just piddle it away at the drive-thru or whatever, but a gift card I am more likely to go actually buy something for myself.

Well, I suppose it may matter what the gift card is for, but suppose it was a gift card for, say, Starbucks? I mean, I kinda get it, but at the same time it is sort of a pointless thing.

 

[HopperFan]

For me, if someone just gave me cash as a gift, I am going to be more likely to just piddle it away at the drive-thru or whatever, but a gift card I am more likely to go actually buy something for myself.

Yes, and I also think some folks want to give "a gift" and not cash. Doing the gift card makes them feel better about giving something and the receiver can still pick out what they want.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

For me, if someone just gave me cash as a gift, I am going to be more likely to just piddle it away at the drive-thru or whatever, but a gift card I am more likely to go actually buy something for myself.

For me, a gift card is likely to go to waste if it’s to a place I have to go out of my way to use. I’m currently sitting on a 15 year old $300 gift card to a local spa, a 4 year old Penzey’s gift card for $80, and a Bath & Body Works gift card of unknown value. Or was it The Body Shop? I don’t even remember. Whatever it is, I don’t shop there so I have no use for it. At least cash, even if it’s getting piddled away, is getting used. And really, whether it’s $5 cash that I spend at the drive-thru or a $5 Starbucks gift card (that I will use) that then frees up $5 from my bank account to spend at the drive-thru, does it matter? It’s still just money in my pocket in one form or the other. Tying cash up in a gift card to a store the recipient doesn’t shop is the only way it risks being truly wasted.

 

[Skywalker]

I love cash...just not as a gift.

I know a lot of people like to get it so they can buy what they really want. I would rather a person giving me a gift know me well enough to already KNOW what I would like as a gift. In all honesty don't really enjoy the entire gift exchange thing. In fact my family stopped exchanging gifts several years ago.

Reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld. It's Elaine's birthday and she is disappointed / ticked off that Jerry got her cash. Meanwhile Kramer scored big by buying her something she had admired in a shop window months ago lol. Cash is really not a good gift unless your someone's older relative ha ha.

 

[Imzadi]

One could buy a Visa gift card. They are usable anywhere.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

One could buy a Visa gift card. They are usable anywhere.

I speak from experience that those Visa cards pain in the but

 

[amcnj]

We used to to do exchanges, and lots of stuff was purchased that many did not really want or need. Lottery tickets and edibles may be more universal than other items.

Ultimately we all agreed that instead of exchanging amongst ourselves, we would instead get a family in need from a local charitable group and split up the list of things they asked for. At least someone was actually getting items they actually would use.