I think I read somewhere, maybe on here, that a good money saver was to buy yourself gift cards once in a while.
So I thought about it, and I bought myself 2 gift cards at WAlmart the other day for $10 each. I'm also getting a free $10 one from mypoints, that I earned. I was thinking that it could kinda be like a savings acct for me. I go to Walmart most often because I live less than a mile from the supercenter. I could use a gift card on a day when I don't have much money but really need a couple of groceries. I was also thinking, if I don't end up using them, I can use them for gifts come Christmas time, either to buy or give as a gift.

So I will continue to buy a couple every month until the end of the year and see if it helps me out. Does anyone else do this??? Do you find it helpful?

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan7.Samantha6,Cameron4

Back together!! Sept 28th Boston TDCenter!! Woohooooo!

That sounds like a good idea. The only concern I have is how long is the gc good for? KWIM some gc's start to charge you after a certain amount of time although I don't think Wal-Mart is one of them.

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Karen

I am absolutely horrible about using gift cards and gift certificates. They'd just sit in my wallet. I'd rather tuck an extra $20 into a little secret compartment in my wallet. That way if I need the cash for gas or something else, I can use it for whatever.

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"Poor people work for their money. Rich people make their money work for them."

I think it's a good idea but when I receive a gift card I tend to spend it right sooner rather than later so I don't lose them

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Amanda
Mommy to Zack & Emily

Actually, at a local Grocery store- they sell GC and at that store for every $50 you spend (except on milk)- you get 10 cents off your gas from their gas station. The only problem is that they don't have Wal-Mart of Target for their gift cards. I did buy a few Kohls, Old Navy and Gap cards to put away for summer and school clothes and the Kohl's is for what ever.

LOL I ended up giving dh one of them already because I forgot to buy diapers the other day when I was at Walmart. SO i'm only down to 2 gc now, but its still $20 and one of them as free though mypoints so thats a bargain right there. I want to earn as many as I can through my points so I can use them at Christmas.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan7.Samantha6,Cameron4

Back together!! Sept 28th Boston TDCenter!! Woohooooo!

I have heard of useing giftcards to keep you on budget. IF your monthly grocery allowence is 300. Get a 300 dollar gift card to your grocery store and buy your groceries and then what ever balance that you have left on it is what you have to buy whatever odds and ends you need for the rest of the month. I sort of do this but not with a gift card . I have a bank account thats jsut for grocery and extra spending. When dh gets paid I transfer whatever I can afford to that account and then I use that account that buy the grocery's get gas and other odds and ends. When its gone I dont spend another dime until payday.

Did you think about ordering them from like upromise or something? I think upromise gives money back when you buy gift cards. I know they did for our lawn company. In the past we got a contribution when we paid them with our crexdit card, but then they stopped doing that, but you could buy the gift cards and then still get the contribution, so we did that. I also think club mom gives you points when you buy gift cards from their "gift card mall" and you can trade in those points for gift cards (mypoints might do this too, I don't know)

When I was pregnant, I would take a small portion of my paycheck and set it aside in a separate savings account. During my 8th month I took the money out and bought several gift cards to the grocery store, target, and a few restaurants. I also bought a couple of visa cards. I believe I had a total of about $300 in various gift cards. I knew I wouldn't be working for 3 months after DS was born, so they helped with the budget. I also wanted to make sure if I needed to send a friend/family member to the store, I could just hand them a gift card to pay for it.

During the holidays, a lot of restaurants and businesses were offering extra gift cards with a purchase of a gift card. There was one place we liked to eat often, so I ended up buying 4 $25 gift cards and receiving 4 $5 gift cards extra. The $5 gift cards have to be used by Mar 2007, but the others not till the end of the year, and so it will be a nice treat for us. I paid for the gift cards in cash so the money has already been spent. The place also has coupons and specials so I know we'll be able to stretch them a long ways. I also took advantage of The Children's Place special ($10 gift card with purchase of $50 gift card). I am always shopping there for DD and DS, so why not.

I included the money spent on the gift cards during the holidays into my xmas money. For us, using gift cards has helpped us out. It also challenges me to keep my spending within the amt of the card. And having paid cash for them, I don't have to worry about paying for it later.

I can only see buying the gift cards if you get something in return extra or like a $25 gift card for $20.

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~Happiness is a large family~