... so. gift certificates get a bad rap. i'd like to say something though.
my little sister is one of my absolute favorite people for ONE simple reason. she gets me what i want for every event where gift giving is appropriate. i frequently ask everyone who asks me for gift cards. they really are what i want. i'm not trying to save them trouble. i'm not trying to not be a pain in the ass. i really, really want a gift card. get me a card from barnes and noble, target, the harley davidson store, lowes or any of a couple resteraunts that i like going to. why? because i frequently won't buy dvd box sets or cd's or hardcover books for myself because of guilt over spending the money. but for some reason if i've got a gift card it's different. so when that new hardcover book comes out that i really, really want i don't have to wait another six months for it to come out in paperback. and there were some lean years where a target card got me through some tough spots. or when i'm CRAVING the mongolian beef from p.f. chang's it is a wonderful present to me.
my mom drives my dad insane. she collects alot of clutter. they actually own two houses. this big house that used to hold the whole family but now only holds the two of them but is still filled with decades' worth of crap. and a new house that they plan to retire to someday. dad would absolutely love to just sell the old house with everything in it. EVERYTHING. and it's going to kill him to have to pack up alllllll the junk from it and move it into their retirement house. he loves the simplistic feel in the new place. so for years they've asked that no one get them anything for christmas. and he really means it. if there is something that they need/want they go out and buy it. they have no secret desires for trinkets. all the stuff that people give them just adds to the clutter. so my little sister and i started giving them gift certificates as well. for nice resteraunts and for movie theaters and concerts and stuff. and that's perfect for them. because they both work conflicting schedules they don't get alot of time together. so that's all stuff that they can do but because they're somewhat frugal might not normally pay for themselves.
so. don't immediately assume that people would be offended by them. they're not impersonal. and it really is better to get someone a gift card than to get something that's completely unwanted.
11 comments:
One of my favorite "teacher" presents was a gift card to a movie theater. Much better than the ample supply of apple knick knacks that currently cover my desk.....
I love gift cards. I absolutely love them.
Wow, you have just totally destroyed my opposition to gift cards... I always thought that they were kinda lame... But now, I have a new idea, inspired by your post... Give gift cards to places that are unique or unusual (for example, Wal-Mart is neither unique or unusual... but a gift card to the Harley Davidson store, now THAT would be both unique and unusual!)
Merry Christmas!
Hope you and I both gets lots of gift cards!
Yeahhh!
:)
how do you feel about giving CASH, is that too tacky even for a cad like me? I wonder.
found you at a blog with lots of SNOW pictures. Hope you enjoy Christmas and New years!
Hi. Yeah, I'm in pain. Spent today doing more digging and then slipping at the grocery store.
I'm with you on the gift card thing. I would much rather have a chance to get something that I want or need vs returning stuff you found on sale and paid a ton to ship to me. BTW: thanks for the snow...where do I return it? hee hee just kidding.
After your comment on my blog I had to check it out.
I totally agree. 100%. I won't buy those books off my budgeted money, but give me a gift card and I'm soooooooooooo there. :)
And I love that your parents really mean it when they say they don't want anything. :)
I agree. I love gift cards. Gift cards for a pedicure, for a new book, for new yarn...so I get to get something in April or May when I'm feeling the need to go shopping.
One of the best gift cards I ever got was from my brother. One year he gave me four gift cards for oil changes. It sounds mundaine, but it meant I didn't have to do it myself for a whole year.
I'll take a gift card any day!
This year we actually got tons of them... and i'm so happy! Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Panera Bread... all places we go and we can get what we want! Thank you, gift card givers!
Actually, a lot of times, I prefer gift cards (or money). Merry Christmas, dude.
I think gift cards are cool gifts. I give them quite often. Not to be lazy, but because if it's someone I like, I want them to get something they really want or at least have the opportunity to buy something that they might not ordinarily purchase.
Your points are valid. If someone thinks gift cards are tacky, my responses are to be thankful of any gift and of the fact that someone thought about you at all!
:-)
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