Second to junk mail, gift cards are one of the things that drive me crazy! You’re probably wondering why I would feel that way. They seem like such a great idea for the person that has everything or the person that you’re not quite sure what to buy.

We find anywhere from 1-10+ expired or unused gift cards with every client we work with. They get mixed in with paperwork and forgotten. They get thrown in a drawer and forgotten. They get buried under stuff and forgotten. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

It seems to me that the only winners when a gift card is purchased is the store that is selling them because many go unused or expire before they can be used.

If you’ve received gift cards this Christmas, make plans to use those gift cards within the next two weeks. Keep the cards in your wallet or purse so that you’ll have them handy when the opportunity presents itself. I’d love to hear if you took my advice or conversely, why you didn’t.