Gift cards are so versatile and make wonderful gifts for any occasion. They can be used online or in-person. A lot of businesses also allow for purchasing them online as well.
Giving and receiving gift cards is also a great way to prevent clutter. This is especially true for a gift of service. There are no tangible items to assign a home to, except maybe the card itself if it’s not a digital card.
The benefits listed below just came off the top of my head. If you have others, please share them in the comments box below.
Giving
Match gift cards with the person’s needs or wants for products or services. By doing this, you may prevent clutter in the recipient’s home.
Giving a tangible gift may encourage clutter if they don’t like or use the gift. They may not want to return it because you gave it to them, so it sits in their home unused taking up valuable storage space.
You save the cost of buying and storing everything needed for wrapping tangible gifts. Wrapping paper, bows, bags, tags, etc., can be costly, and you need to have adequate storage for all of these tools.
Giving the gift of service via gift card saves both the giver and receiver valuable time and money. The giver puts thought into the recipient’s needs, and there is no shopping involved for a tangible gift. The receiver saves money by not paying for a needed service, or shopping for the service.
Receiving
Be mindful to remember to use the gift cards you receive. Keep them front and center in a way that works for you, don’t stash them away and forget about them. That may mean to keep them in your purse or wallet so that you have access to them when you need them.
Write the balance on each card if you don’t use up the balance on a single purchase, or check the balance by using an app such as Giftcardy.
Some may have an expiration date so check with the vendor, or read the fine print on the card so you don’t waste the gift giver’s money by not using, or selling the gift card by the expiration date.
If you receive a gift card that you don’t particularly want, there is an option that has become popular. That is to sell them for cash or trade. It’s not dollar for dollar, but it’s better than wasting a gift.
Many companies do this such as Raise.com, CardCash.com, CardPool.com, (I have no connection with any of these providers, I just did a search & these came up). I encourage you to check with each one to understand their policies so you get the right fit for your needs. This is another great way to eliminate clutter by selling cards for cash so you get the most out of the generous gift you received.
