What are doing with the cash and gift cards?

**Nana2two** · 12-27-2008, 12:00 AM

Between hubby and i both we got $ around 275.00 in cash and visa gift cards. 1 victoria secret, which my daughter will buy off of me with cash.I need to do a major grocery shopping. can goods and meats,plus misc...all the bills are caught up and payed a month ahead.I will go to aldis with the cash i dont think they accept visa non debit cards. I will check and see.

**homesteadmamma** · 12-27-2008, 12:41 AM

Wow that's a nice amount.

I got a $50 gc for a Chinese restaurant. Will go there on a Sun. after church and have the smorg. With the $40 I got, I'm using that for my stockpiling.

**imagine** · 12-27-2008, 12:55 AM

The cash went into the pot to be used for normal things and to pay some doctor bill.

The gift cards were to the movies and to Blockbuster. planning to save them for when we need to see a movie, like I have done ever year. I'm more nervous about doing so this year as I have been in the past. I've heard a lot about using gift cards early this year since you don't know when something is going to close.

What do you think about gift cards and the economy? Is anyone nervous?

**JENNIFER780** · 12-27-2008, 09:50 AM

This was a light year both for giving and gifts I received. I got $25 AMEX gc and $50 in cash. I spent almost $30 at the grocery store this morning and I will likely spend the rest when I go back next Wednesday when everything the the health market is 20% off. There was a sign posted at the store this morning that beginning 1/7 they will only be giving 10% off

**elphie** · 12-27-2008, 10:05 AM

we got $100 worth of Wal-mart cards and I honestly don't know what we will do with them. I had planned to buy a new food processor with part of it since my old one died but then my mom and dad got me one for Christmas. I don't want to spend it on food or cleaning supplies because we budget for those very well. I would like to buy something that will save us money down the line and will be lasting, which is why I originally thought of the food processor. Now that I have a food processor I'm just not sure. Our anniversary is next weekend and we got an Applebee's gift card so we will go out by ourselves with that and then perhaps go to Wal-mart and think about what to do with those. It should be a fun date!

My husband also got a sizeable cash bonus from work which is going into savings for now. We will use part of it to buy an antenna and tivo on ebay so we can disconnect our satellite service and have free tv. The rest will stay in the EF.

**AmyBoz** · 12-27-2008, 10:15 AM

We received, from my parents, about $50 in Wendy's gift cards ($10 for each of us) which we are going to save for a time when we really, REALLY want to eat out, since we aren't going to be doing this in the New Year.

I received $100 in Barnes and Noble gift cards, and although the temptation is there to just run there and spend it all, I'm going to try to wait until there is nothing at the library that I want. I went to the library a few days before Christmas and dh also bought me 3 books, and my Mom passed on 10 paperbacks that she was done with, so I'm going to save the gift cards for later in the year when I'm "book poor."

Dh got some gift cards to Kohl's and he'll probably be using those sooner, rather than later. He is in need of some new shirts for work.

My Mom also got me a $10 CVS gift card. Not sure what to do with that one, yet. Not really a big CVS shopper, so I may watch their sales and go buy some soda as a treat one week, or maybe put it toward diapers. We'll see.

My parents and father-in-law gave us some money, and I put that right in the bank, as my $5000 tuition bill is coming due and quite frankly, I don't have the money. So, it will help out with at least one installment of the bill.

Oh, and my parents got each of the kids a $10 Toys-r-Us gift card. I think we'll hold on to those for awhile. They all have birthdays coming up in February, so they'll be getting gifts again, (although I've asked the grandparents to keep it small...they don't need anything), so perhaps in the summer, when things are tight, we'll take a Toys-R-Us trip with their gift cards, for a special treat.

**monkeywrangler71** · 12-27-2008, 10:22 AM

I put our money from my grandmother in the chequing account for regular expenses, the money from my parents went into our wallets for fun. All the kids amounts went into their savings accounts. We got a home depot gc, which will go towards flooring in the kitchen and/or whatever comes up. We also got a grocery store gc which will be used next time I get groceries.

**McD** · 12-27-2008, 10:37 AM

I spent one of my 50$ giftcards already on a new comforter and tons of scrapbooking stuff.

I have another 50$ giftcard and 75$ in cash. I'm thinking I will be buying some new clothes. I have two ten dollar off coupons that I can use together at DSW and I want new brown heels. Mine are all scuffed and nasty. I also want some new jeans. I only have three pairs and are getting kinda ratty looking.

**Momto2Boyz** · 12-27-2008, 10:46 AM

All we got this year was cash, plus with all of DH's tips from work, we made quite the little bundle. Total from all the various family members we recieved about $650, and then Dh got another $400 or so cash tips from people on his route. We pretty much just put it all into our savings account.

We got a $25 Wal-mart gift card from someone on his route, and I have no idea what we are going to do with it, since we don't shop at Wal-mart out of principal. I'm thinking about donating it to the food pantry or something. We'll see what we figure out!

**jamie79** · 12-27-2008, 10:53 AM

Well we only got one g.c to Olive Garden so we will use it sometime

**Holly** · 12-27-2008, 10:56 AM

didn't get any cash or gc's this year.
never do.

**pbobber** · 12-27-2008, 11:07 AM

I received $400 in cash and $40 gc to a local restaurant. I will use the gift card when I don't feel like cooking. Will put the cash toward a new computer. My hard drive crashed right before Christmas and is over 7yrs old so I am just going to get a new computer. Well that is the story that I'm sticking to anyway. I have been eyeing laptops for the past year and really want one.

**pollypurebred39** · 12-27-2008, 11:44 AM

I will be hitting the health food store up and buying some immune boosting herbs (Really work! went all last Winter with no major colds when everyone else around me was falling like flies!) and L-Theanine & Pasionflower.

I'm also going to buy a relaxing CD to sleep to. I was thinking about bedtime prayers: Lullabies & peaceful Worship by Twila Paris. I heard that even though it is meant for babies it is incredibly peaceful and adults like it to sleep by also. I've never slept well and over the years it has gotten worse, I'm hoping the relaxing herbs and the cd will help.

We do not have money to budget for this kind of stuff. Even though maybe I should put it towards bills, I've decided to invest in my health and well being. I'm guessing that is not such a bad thing. I could have decided to buy candy with it!!!!!!

**brenda67** · 12-27-2008, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

I will be hitting the health food store up and buying some immune boosting herbs (Really work! went all last Winter with no major colds when everyone else around me was falling like flies!) and L-Theanine & Pasionflower.

I'm also going to buy a relaxing CD to sleep to. I was thinking about bedtime prayers: Lullabies & peaceful Worship by Twila Paris. I heard that even though it is meant for babies it is incredibly peaceful and adults like it to sleep by also. I've never slept well and over the years it has gotten worse, I'm hoping the relaxing herbs and the cd will help.

We do not have money to budget for this kind of stuff. Even though maybe I should put it towards bills, I've decided to invest in my health and well being. I'm guessing that is not such a bad thing. I could have decided to buy candy with it!!!!!!

Mind sharing what your buying at the health food store to build up your immune system? Also whatever your buying are they easy to swallow? I have problems swallowing from way back when I was a little kid..

**LuvMyHubby** · 12-27-2008, 12:17 PM

We only received 2 g.c.: one to a chinese rest. and one to pizza hut. I am sure we will be using the restaurant on for take out sooner rather than later as it is closer to us and our favorite place. We will save the pizza hut one for later.

As to the question about using GC sooner rather than later. Yep, I have sort of been burned by that before so am very leery about hanging on to them as a treat.

We bought DD on many years ago to a trendy store in the mall and one week later the store had been taken over/merged into a different one and I had to fight tooth and nail and call about 4 800 numbers to finally get the the GC changed over in order to be used, what a nightmare.