We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Look on any gift idea website and you’ll probably find that gift cards are a common suggestion for a present. It’s because they’re simple to give to someone, they let your recipient choose what they want, and it shows that you’ve put at least some thought into the gift. But in reality, gift cards don’t really make a good gift.
Nowadays, people can see gift cards are being lazy. In fact, most people would prefer that you just gave them the money instead of going out of your way to buy a gift card for them. They might not like shopping at that particular store, so it makes it a little awkward especially if it’s a gift for someone that you don’t really interact with much. In that case, you might not even know their interests!
So here are a couple more reasons why you should stop giving gift cards as a present.
Image Source: Pexels (CC0)
Gift cards make you spend more than you want to
Gift cards will always make you spend more than you want to. This is because you’re looking to maximize the value from the gift card, so you’ll probably use a gift card to cover half the cost of an item or even less, then you’ll pay the rest. In some cases, a gift card can encourage you to spend up to three or four times as much money than you expect to.
Since you’re also locked into spending the gift card at a certain store, you might just end up paying more for something because it’s more expensive in-store than online. This is a really common occurrence and is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t like using gift cards–even if it’s with a website like Amazon! They would much prefer you just give them the money instead. If you want to save money, then not using gift cards is a good start!
There are more meaningful gifts
Most people think that a gift card is a meaningful gift because you’re thinking of what your recipient likes. While that’s certainly true to some extent, it’s definitely not the most meaningful gift that you can give!
There are way more choices to consider, such as giving someone a handmade gift or even a special present that was custom made for them.
What can you do with unwanted gift cards?
If you’ve accidentally bought a gift card and want to change your mind then it’s best to just return it to the store. As long as it’s unused (they can check this!) you’ll get a full refund. Alternatively, there are websites where you can sell Best Buy gift cards and other popular cards. This is really convenient if you got an unwanted gift card as a present, or if you just have a few gift cards lying around that you don’t want anymore.
But if you want to stop getting gift cards then you should let your friends and family members know. Alternatively, just get rid of them by selling them. Just don’t fall into the trap of using them and spending more than you expected!
