I have recently started buying gift cards for the various stores I like to shop at as a way to save for those shopping trips. If I have $10 or $20 extra I will buy a gift card and wait until I have enough of those saved up to buy something I really want from said store. Have any of you done this?
I always say I should pick up gift cards throughout the year, but I never think about it when I'm out shopping. I know the grocery store Kroger (and probably many others) offer double store points or double fuel points very often when you purchase gift cards, especially around the holidays, so that might be another thing to take advantage of. If you are already shopping at a grocery that has a reward program, why not get a bonus when you buy the gift cards there?
It is also nice to have these gift cards around when there is an unexpected birthday or event in which you need to get someone a gift. Instead of running out to the store real quick, you can grab a gift card from your stash. There are days in which I just want to blow off some steam or something and don't have cash and so I can pull a couple gift cards and treat myself.
I am in complete agreement with you, Rosyrain. It seems like a very good habit to get into, and having spare cards around can definitely come in handy for last minute gifts too.
If I see some on promo where I can get them for a significantly low price then I would definitely snatch them up immediately but otherwise I would prefer to just have cash in hand rather than gift cards because it's a lot more flexible. If I buy too many gift cards I end up tying up my money and the only place I could spend them was at that specific store, whereas I could spend my cash anywhere.
No I've not bought gift cards to shop with for myself. I wait for the sales like Safeway $5 Friday's and get items on sale that week. Walgreen's & Walmart has very good prices. The weekly ads for CVS is a budget saver too. I like to save a lot when shopping and will shop around for the best prices. Sometimes I'd go to Walmart just to window shop to see what kind of prices they have for what I need and always buy something for Walmart's prices are so good.
We have a gift certificate here that is very popular because you can buy it in volume at 10% discount. Some enterprising people would buy in bulk and sell it at 95% of the cost, leaving 5% for their profit. Imagine an investment of 100k can earn them 5k in a week's time and little effort. What's good is this part - our office gives a part of the bonus in GC. The employees would sell their GC for 90% of the value. So I buy their GC and I earn a profit of 10%. That's every summer and December.
I am now working on gift cards for Christmas shopping and giving as gifts. I went and got 2 more yesterday, but I am a not sure if I am going to use them to buy gift or give them as gifts. I hate giving out gift cards unless someone specially wants them because it seems impersonal.
No, cash is king! I have seen too many stores go under and gift cards aren't accepted. I have a few gift cards people have given me, and to be honest I am not sure where they are. If you lose them, then that's cash down the drain. I am sure some people like gift cards, but why give a company free money when it can be in your purse?
