Gift Cards Make Horrible Gifts

Bear was given a gift card in July for a bookstore. Nearest one? Almost an hour away. Shop online? Evidently not all gift cards can be used online. I had to call customer service and argue with this woman that even though the store was only "X" miles away, it was still nearly an hour's worth of driving. Wasn't about to do that for $20. Her surperviser finally agreed to convert my GC to an online gift certificate.

I current have other gift cards that I've tried to use online (nearest store is 1 1/2 hours away) and the very FEW items my children have asked are all "Available in store only." The clearance crap and junk is about all you can fine at the online store.

There were the Toys R Us cards my kids received one year. Spent over an hour round trip in travel time so the kids could pay 15% more than they would have if they had the choice to shop after holiday sales near our home.

And then you have to LOVE LOVE LOVE when you get $20 for here and $25 for there and $15 for somewhere else. Wanted one nice item? Not a chance, can't combine them. Plus you have to drive, drive, drive to all of the individual stores. You spend more in gas than was on the gift cards to begin with. And if you do try to shop online and are lucky enough for them to have what you wanted, it's $8 in shipping. So in reality, instead of receiving a $20 gift, you actually received a $12 gift.

I'm going to make that simple for those of you with not so complex minds: If the receivee has to shop online because you gave them a gift card for a store they can't get to, you threw away $8 of a $20 gift card.

Look people, you wanna REALLY be thoughtful? Give an AmEx or MasterCard gift card. Better yet, send a check. That way you know it's going to fit. And maybe the intended gift reciever would like to save their Christmas and B-Day money to help pay for a car when they turn 16 in three years instead of buying something now.

Cash is king. No matter what anyone says. Cash is the best gift you can give unless you know EXACTLY what the person wants. Some say I don't put enough thought into gifts for people. Truth is, I've given this LOTS of thought. I either make them something or I let them buy what they want.

One day my nieces and nephews will be adults and they'll say, "My Aunt Krystal was the best. She gave us CASH and we always got what we wanted."

Happy pre-holiday shopping...