3 ways Your Unused Gift Cards Can Make Christmas Better

I am always looking for ways to give more at Christmas time. Although our list is not horribly long, we do have 12 grandchildren. We want to be generous with them. In the past we have given gift cards or cash to family and friends but we are finding that there are ways to give better gifts. Here is how it works.Take a look at any gift card you have received but have not used. I bet you have some. It is estimated that over 2 billion dollars worth of gift cards went unredeemed during 2012.  If you are smart, you will find a way to put those cards to use. That is where you might want to use a company that will buy your gift cards. 

1. Gift Card Exchange: If the gift cards you are re-gifting are for stores that are not convenient you can get extra value for the card by exchanging for an Amazon gift card. 
2. Cash for Gift Cards: If the person you are buying for really needs a cash gift, sell the unwanted gift card and give cash. Make it easy for them.
3. Buy Gift Cards:  Buy your gift cards at a discounted price. (I had to ask myself why I hadn't been doing this all along.) 
4. If your credit card company does not give cash see if there is a gift card possibility. You may be able to sell the gift card for cash. Here is an interesting fact:

Even though rewards are exciting, many consumers don’t use them. A national GMAC Mortgage survey concluded that while over 50% of respondents in a recent national survey of American consumers reported having at least one or two credit cards that offer rewards, more than 41% of such reward cardholders either rarely or never bother to use their rewards.

I think all of these hints can be made a reality by using a compnay like Gift Card Rescue.com program. They will buy your unwanted cards from you, sell you cards at a discounted price and even help you exchange unwanted cards for an Amazon card at an increased value. They have cards from companies like Target, j.jill, Macys and Best Buy just to name a few. When you go to the webpage, you can see what people from the New York Time, The Wall Street Journal and other money writers have to say about the program. Just click on their icon at the bottom of the page and you will be directed to the articles written about this business.

When they contacted me about writing something for my readers, I did some research. I like the idea so I will be doing business with them over the holidays. It seems to me it is a win win idea. Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

b+

Unused Cards: Information from Time.com

How do you spend the money you've saved for Christmas?

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.
by b+

I am assuming that you save a little back for Christmas gifts. If you are like us, you don't go into debt this time of year. Saving for Christmas gifts seems to me to  be a very good idea. We used to have special little Christmas savings accounts at the bank that we could deposit our money in so it would be there when the holiday season arrived...$5 or $10 a month. Each member of the family received a small gift that was selected with a lot of love.

So the question is "If you only have $10 to spend on each person, how do you spend it?"

My husband and I tried to be a little more conscious of how the amount we had set aside was being spent this year. We focused on the gift...period. I used every bit that we had accumulated on the gifts.

What else is there? Well, how much do you spend on wrapping paper, ribbon, cards, Christmas Ornaments, etc. Think about that and then add it to the money for presents and you will be surprised how much more you have.

So I made my own gift card holders this year. I vowed to make the wrapping paper we have been accumulating for years look good even if it was old. I dug through the box of labels and copied them on the printer. Not one penny did we spend on the frills. We have 12 grandchildren and six adults that we buy for. I send cards to friends. I regift books I love to people that I know will love them too. We will see how it goes. It is all a learning experience.

Our tree is beautiful as are all our children's trees. We will gather together three times in the next week. Somehow I think this is going to be memorable and beautiful Christmas for us all.

b+

Note: Please sure to check the Gift Boomer Amazon store. Just click the box at the top left of the blog to see what is available. If you want other things, you can do an Amazon search in the left side-bar. 

Related articles

• Cheap and Green Ways to Wrap Gifts (apartmentguide.com)
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• 10 Best Christmas Gifts for Senior Citizens by a Senior Citizen! (retireinstyleblog.com)
• Teens: 14+ Practical 14+ Christmast Gift Ideas for Teens + a Promo from Target (retireinstyleblog.com)
• Christmas: 8 Lessons for Beginning Grandparents (retireinstyleblog.com)
• I"m Worried about Santa Claus...there are rumors! (retireinstyleblog.com)

10 (actually 11) Great Graduation Gifts for Young Men in 2011... even better than money!

My daughter pointed out to me that "money" may be easy but it doesn't show how much you really care.  I suppose that is true.  Money is easy and buying the perfect gift isn't. If I do go shopping,  I must care a lot to even try to find a gift another person will actually love. I think the male high school graduate is probably the most difficult of all.

This is the plan that I use. I find out what the giftee likes or plans to do.  Will they bum around, go to college, get a job, move away from home, join the military or are they undecided?  Then I will need to put myself in their shoes and select what I hope they will like. I always include a gift receipt so they can return the gift if someone else has the same brilliant idea.

New Designs from Splendid Vinyl

Loved this fork cable organizer from
Apartment Therapy

When I created the list below I have assumed that the graduate is getting a computer or has one. I am also assuming that they will go on to college or technical school. I am assuming the high school graduate is a young man.

Graduation Gift for the Young Man (High School)

1. The perfect backpack/computer case. There are so many beautiful examples anymore I don't even know where to start. REI has some very cool techy ideas for backpack.
2. A vinyl decal to protect a laptop computer.
3. A cappuccino maker for the dorm room or apartment. 
4. A Starbucks Card loaded for bear!
5. Lego Architecture set...just because they look cool and guys like them.
6. Luggage/travel accessories.  This old standby needs to be updated though.  Cool carry on or duffel bags with wheels and trendy details could be perfect.
7. Computer extras...zip drives, cables, cable organizers (Ikea under $10)
8. Kindle reader.  Some textbooks will be down loadable on the e-reader devices.
9. Dorm room accessories...a great pillow or logo stadium blanket.
10. Noise Canceling Headphones.
11. Make that 11 great gifts.  Have you seen the gorilla tripod for the iphone!

I am hoping I can use serveral of these idea as a gifts for my grandson.  He will be graduating next weekend.  We are all very excited.

Have a wonderful week!

b