Public Spark

Do you still have gift cards from Christmas or maybe Christmas 2006? I was in for a rude awakening when I was organizing my room and found gift cards from Christmas 2006. Similarly, my boyfriend made the same discovery! So I decided to read other bloggers great tips and incorporated a strategy of my own to use gift cards more wisely.

1. Put them in one place

   It is easy to leave them on a drawer or desk because maybe you don’t have room in your purse or wallet. For me, that ended up being the down fall, as the gift cards became engulfed in my paper pile. Now I carry it in my purse or leave it in a visible part of my bookshelf labeled gift cards. It is easily accessible and I don’t forget about it.

2. “Post-it” the amount

   I also found it difficult to know how much was left on my gift cards. Sometimes the receipts get separated or sometimes I forget to get a receipt. I took time to call number on the gift cards and/or check online for the balance. Afterwards, I post-it the amount onto the card so I know exactly how much is left. It was worth it, since I almost threw away a gift card that still had a balance of $50.00

3. Expiration dates

   This is the one time you want to read the fine prints. Some gift cards have expiration dates, where the amount will become void. Other times, it can actually decrease in value (like a bank gift card will lose money after a year of non-use).

4. Organize

   As with anything, it is easier to use when you see what you have. It is good to keep them in one place, but also organizing by type can help you to effectively use it. Example, clump all of the grocery gift cards together, clothing ones together, leisure ones (Starbucks!) together, etc.

5. Make it a part of your schedule to use it or not to use it

   Sometimes I end up at the store and then realize “oh yeah.. I had a gift card. oh well next time…” Other times, you might get a gift card that you know you will not use or use simply to waste money. Unclutter also suggests that you shouldn’t force yourself to buy just because you have a gift card. Unclutter suggests Ebay ! In addition, Richard O. Johnson from Beyond Barter writes about Gift Card Strategies and suggests other areas to sell your gift cards like Craigslist , Card Avenue , Gift Card Buy Back and SwapAGift .

Here are great additional tips by J.D. from Get Rich Slowly blog

• Gift Card tips and Tricks

• The pros and Cons of gift cards