I have been wondering. I really dislike giving gift cards as a gift. Am I the only one? I just have this hang up that I haven't tried hard enough or thought hard enough. To me, gifts are meant to be thoughtful. No one else in my family thinks like this. Just wondering how everyone else feels? Am I crazy?
I hate to give them, because I feel they are so impersonal. I do give them on occasion--to my sister who never likes/appreciates anything. (I can't afford anything good enough for her.) I do think they are OK when combined with something personal or if they are to a store that is really a treat for the one receiving it. It's the generic Walmart/Target type that are so impersonal. I know some people love to get them and pick out their own gifts. I prefer gifts that someone took the time to think about--even if it's not what I would have purchased myself.
As kids get older and we have a few hours distance between us and family, I feel as though I don't really know what they have and want. Sure, I could ask for suggestions. My other thing is that I usually give $20 per gift, always have for birthdays, holidays, etc. Not sure where $20 came from, but that is my amount. It is hard sometimes to find something for $20 so I figure my money can be combined with other money for a gift that is truly wanted. I have tried to find fun ways to give the money. One year, I took 2 of ds' old stuffed animals, cut a hole and stuffed a rolled up $20 inside. I put a riddle onto the stuffed animal indicating where they should look. That was fun watching the kids (2 pre-teens) look at the stuffed animal and trying to act grateful. The older one finally read the clue and figured it out. But, often times I do just give a card with cash. So, I do see your point about it being impersonal, but at the same time have been resorting to it more and more.
DH gave me a gift Certificate to a store here in town that I would never go to. It has purses, shoes, and lots of jewlery. A very girlie girl store. I have never gone in because we don't have the cash to spend on frivolous things like that, so in this instance the G.C. was really appreciated. I would agree, then, that it's ok if it's to a store that they hardly ever go to so it can be a special treat! We've used WalMart giftcards for food in the past. I usually try to give something personal. My favorite gift to give is something that I've baked. Christmas Afternoon I will be fixing apple pie, lemon bars, and chocolate chip cookies for my In-Laws (even though it usually goes unappreciated by some. :/ )
I really don't care to give them, but I do like to get them. When Mom was alive, she would give the kids each a $25 card to Penney's. I would take each kid out to lunch, and then we'd go shopping. Since I rarely shop a REAL STORE for my kids, it was a special treat. They got to pick for themselves, and I got some one-on-one time with each one. My mil's taste is SO different from mine that I'd MUCH rather her get me a card and let me pick for myself. I've also received cards for the quilt store (YEAH, BUDDY!!!), and Half-Price Books. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when people get DH and I a card to a restaurant!!! The kids went in to get us a $25 card for O'Charley's last year!!! My bil always buys the kids one $50 card to the theater. If we're careful, we can all go and even get some popcorn. But we save it for a movie we REALLY want to see. We'll use it for the Hobbit this year! And $5 cards to Wendy's or McD's are WONDERFUL when you're on the run! I've been trying to convince my mil for YEARS that they absolute necessities for stockings! Oh, I DO give a Bob Evans card to my aunt. She's over 80, and really doesn't need anything. This is something I know she can and will use, to go out to eat with friends after church. It really is practical for her.
Wish I'd have thought of $5 fast food cards for stockings! My kids would love that. I'll have to remember it for next year.
I like them, I feel bad the kids aren't getting any this year (well not from us) they got ones from my mom trt to think about it like this....... the reciever gets to buy what he or she really wants, and gets to feel like they can get stuff when they would usually feel guilty about buying something for themselves..... also, its personal because its for a specific place the reciever likes to shop (micheals, bookstore, clothing store etc)
I try to think of something more personal first, but I give gift cards to certain people. Mostly my FIL who has everything and I can't really afford the things he wants. That way, he can put it together with others and get something nicer. DH and his sister always exchange gift cards-$25 each-DH gets one to the local pawn/gun shop and SIL gets on to Wal-Mart. It's their tradition. They always wrap them up crazy with tons of tape and paper, etc. I don't really like gift cards unless they're to a specific store that I normally wouldn't get to shop at like Bath and Body. Normally, if I get one to Wal-Mart (or if I get cash) it ends up getting spent on groceries or things we need, not just something for me. I do love when my kids get gift cards for McDonald's. They come in handy when we have to be in town and can't get home for lunch/dinner. Normally, I don't get gift cards for my kids. They get quite a bit of cash from others usually and they get allowance, so I'd rather buy them a gift. However, my girls are getting Bath and Body cards this year. I started to get them a gift from there, but I decided they'd rather have the experience of going in and picking it out themselves (they very rarely get to do something like that).
I don't mind getting gift card because I don't know anybody that doesn't like to get them. But I don't give Walmart cards because I know those often times get spend on food or tylenol, etc (unless the intention of the gift was for groceries of course) A great gift for couples is a gift card to go out to eat (given with a coupon for a free night of babysitting if they have kids! LOL) I also like giving gift cards as part of a bigger package...like you know if you give someone an iPod then an iTunes card would be a great gift. Or if you give someone a Kindle Fire an Amazon gift card would be great.
I give them and everyone seems to like them but I always feel like it isn't very personal. My mother loves getting them and saves them up for a big shopping trip. She enjoys it so I buy them for her. I forget to use the ones people give me. I had one for two years!
I like getting gift cards and give them mostly to family that lives far away. I wouldn't have a clue what to get my mom and step dad, but I know they like to eat out, so we get them restaurant gift cards. Personally, I don't like buying gifts that people will hate, so a gift card is really freeing. It saves a lot of money on shipping as well. My husband and his family like giving cash, which is completely strange to me. We send cash, and they send cash. It feels really weird, but it is an appreciated gift for those family members.
I have to laugh any time we get a gift from my grandpa. He sends the same gift for every occasion and to all family members. He gives you an envelope with a typed label sealing it. The label tells you that inside is a universal gift card, bought at Bank of America, if you have any problems using the gift card, take it back to B of A for an exchange. Once you open it, there is cash. It takes the impersonal cash to a new level with his humor.
How cute!!! Grandma always gave each of the grandkids $2 in new bills. My mom also tried to give my kids "new" bills (though she did up it from $2!) Blizzard, I know what you mean. It's like, I send you $25, you send me $25, we could have just kept our own money and saved the postage, lol!!! It really does depend on the person. Even with gift cards, I try to be particular about who gets what. They're opening a Cabella's in central Ohio soon, and DH REALLYwanted a card for that! And what he would buy, no one could buy for him. He's the only one who knows the specifics.
I prefer to give something specific, but I do give gift cards when it is hard to know that ONE item that will make them smile. I give my mom gift cards for books because in the past she has gotten books that she has already read. She reads voraciously, so unless I know it is a new book and she hasn't bought it, I don't even want to try that again. I like getting gift cards, so I am not against it totally.
One of our decent neighbors gave each of the kids a gift card for McDonalds (total they have about the amount we will need to get a family meal there).... My mom ended up giving the kids a Target gift card...... I like when you take something like a gift card and wrap it up in an odd way
I don't mind gift cards. I've given quite a few in the past few years. For my kids and their spouses, I've lucked up and found some books from the clearance rack, according to each one's taste... cookbook, novel, nonfiction topic (like geography, photography...). Then I tuck the card in as a "bookmark". DS and his wife I don't mind getting a WalMart card for, because of where they live and their particular needs (might be used for groceries, meds, clothes, whatever they need at the time). DD and her husband though live in a bigger town with lots more options, like restaurants or something else. I don't mind getting them, either.
Well, I got one for the quilt store, DH got one for Cabella's, and we got THREE SEPARATE ONES for the same restaurant, lol! But my bil who always gets us one for the movies has had major changes in his budget, so he didn't get us one. And, of course, I understand and I really don't want them to get us something they can't afford, but I was really sorry not to get it with the Hobbit, lol!
I was kind of wishy washy on the original question about whether or not to give them. I always felt like it was impersonal to do so (but I have given them MANY times and received them as well) but after this year, I'm giving gift cards in the future! My sister and niece both sent me messages on Christmas Day "Thanks for ____ but I already have one". It sounds impersonal to give a gift card but it allows that person to get something they want/need......... other option is to get really creative and make them something.
I LOVE gift cards - giving and receiving. My sister loves tyo read so I buy her gift cards to bookstores in her area so I don't buy a book she has or isn't interested in. This year I got an iPhone and my grandma in law gave me a $10 iTunes gift card. Best.Gift.Ever! I was able to buy a couple of games (on sale because of Christmas) and a couple of cheap books.
I am sorry, but if a person is rude enough to say, "Thanks for _____, but I already have one," I don't know if I would want to buy them anything anymore. If I asked them if they already had one or read the book or something that is one thing, but if they just come out with that statement, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My sister bought me two or three books one year that I had already read. I never mentioned it to her and I was appreciative that she knew the author I liked. It was the thought that counted and she thought of me when she bought them.
