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View Full Version : Do you agree with this article? She thinks gift cards are not a good gift to give.



iloveflipflops
12-07-2006, 08:28 AM
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/FindDealsOnline/GiftCardsAreNotGifts.aspx


I totally disagree. I like giving gift cards. I know it seems like the easy way out but I would love getting a gift card myself and I never get them....

So are you giving gift cards this year?

mahodgman
12-07-2006, 08:36 AM
Yes, I am giving a couple of gift cards this year. I like to shop for people when I know what I want to get. When I don't have any idea, then I do a gift card. I see the point of the article, but I don't agree 100%.

emmcee
12-07-2006, 08:38 AM
well, I don't really give a hoot what Miss Manners says about gift cards. I love them. I don't give a lot of them but I do give them to my niece, nephew, and my one brother-in-law, and Bobby loves them, so he'll get one or 2. And if you have someone kind of hard to buy for, seems like a good thing to me. Fix the present up kind of pretty, not just hand them a card, that's kind of tacky. :chatterbox:

Personally, I don't think of gift cards as not thinking about someone. I don't just get a WM card and check that person off my list. It's a card to somewhere that they like to shop or eat at.

flyingflower
12-07-2006, 08:41 AM
It would be two gifts in one for me - the gift itself AND a shopping trip :grin:

Spartymom
12-07-2006, 08:45 AM
to the teachers. They don't want all that candy and cheap gifts. And to my niece and nephew who are now tweens and don't want toys! For my parents and family, I am buying them gifts that they would not expect. Kim

ccstampin'
12-07-2006, 08:53 AM
I was all set to add some gift cards to gifts I already have to "fill in" the blanks I'm coming up with for some.
I really think some people actually appreciate the cards for eating out or buying things they "really" want.
I didn't like this article! LOL
I think I'll still give some and hope the recipients haven't read that article!
Joanie:chatterbox:

workin4stamps
12-07-2006, 09:19 AM
I didn't bother reading the article, but here's my two cents:

I do buy gift cards for some people---especially if I don't know what to get them.... my sister and her two kids for example. They don't live too close to me, so I don't see them a lot to know what they like, etc. My sister NEVER gives me any ideas, but I know she likes to shop at Old Navy----so I give her an Old Navy gift card. My niece and nephew are super super picky----so I give them Target cards. They love it. I always buy them just a little "something" too-----never anything big.....just something that I see and think of them---I'll pick it up.

Personally, I always love to get gift cards.....so I see nothing wrong with giving them to the right person. If I know what somebody wants, however, then I'll usually buy that!

Traci

stampcrazyjulie
12-07-2006, 09:19 AM
I used to think that Gift Cards were the "cheap" way out or not as well meaning until my Parents started giving me one for my Birthday's & Christmas. It is so nice to be able to go buy what I want instead of something I may not like but kept anyways, or something in the wrong size that I have to wait in line to take back & exchange!

In the past few years I have started buying gift cards to a few Restaurants that my Parents have never been to, and probably could not afford to go to, as well as to the local Shoe Store & stuff like that.

I see nothing wrong with it. Especially now when we as Paper Crafters can put the card into such cute little holders or packages and dress them all up! :)

MidwestStamper
12-07-2006, 09:56 AM
I just gave a gift card for a local Bookstore to my Prayer Partner/Secret Sister at church. I thought that was a way for her to pick out what she likes--or she could treat herself at their coffee snack bar while reading!

I put the gift card in a cute card holder that I'd made, and I also included a small cute winter pin (snowman on a cinnamon stick) that I got at a craft fair. So, adding both those things personalized it.

I remember that last year my SS at church gave me a Michael's gift card because she knows that I go there twice a week anyway--I was thrilled!

Erin K
12-07-2006, 10:12 AM
I go back and forth.

This is a hard one for me, do you know I've typed a response 3 times now.. I keep deleting it.

I think they are fine. I appreciate them. No one can buy me craft supplies, how would they know what to get?? So a craft store gift card says to me, "Erin we know what you love and want you to get something you can really enjoy and use". But I really like having a gift to open up and knowing someone shopped for me too.

I almost never give them. But I have...

I would hate for it to get like the article says it's going where all we do is exchange money instead of gifts, gifts are fun!

OH and teenagers love them! Especially the visa ones they can use anywhere, which really are just exchangeing money, but what ya gonna do? Those teens are impossible to shop for!

The article says they are really bad for wedding gifts and I totally disagree! We got tons and it was great to be able to get the stuff we needed to set up house!

mydogstinks2
12-07-2006, 10:30 AM
I do not agree with her! We have bought gift cards for all the nieces and nephews. The ones we can just hand to and the ones we have to mail off. I'm not spending $25 on a gift then another $25 to ship it! That is just not happening!:nah: So gift cards it is. Plus with teenagers that you see mabye once a month you never know what to buy for them!

emmcee
12-07-2006, 10:34 AM
Miss Manners needs to come on over to the stamp-shack and see our reviews of her article, well maybe not her precise article, but the article pertaining to her opinion of gift cards :biglaugh:

My3Ds
12-07-2006, 10:50 AM
I kind of agree that it seems like an easy way out. But, I'm not above giving gift cards as gifts and I don't mind getting them. I do however sometimes forget that I have one. Like right now I have one that is over 2 years old and I found one yesterday that I didn't even remember getting. :shocked: Yikes. I hope they are still good to use.

lost luggage
12-07-2006, 10:52 AM
It is SO hysterical to log on and see this, Sherri!! I wrote Liz a scathing email last night! LOL

IMO, is she is so concerned about "money" than she should appreciate the gift card. Why do parents max out their credit cards to buy jr. the of-the-moment-hundreds-of-dollars-toy? Instead, gift cards can be collected and put towards the amount...how about America teaching children the value of the dollar? My friend wanted a Coach Purse one year...too much money for me to give her the entire amount, so I gave her a GC. Do you think she thought I was crap? Of course not. This woman is a mess. I told her to get a life.

She writes a money column on MSN. You would think she would be concerned about America's debt.

Nancy
12-07-2006, 11:44 AM
Everyone lives far away and postage runs into the teens usually. And that seems a waste. I make a nice card and send them a sizeable check. The teenagers and college kids like this, the little ones I always send presents in the mail under their own names. Kids who have graduated from college don't get separate gifts any more, they become part of the gift exchange group. With all the articles on gift cards in the news, I would just be very careful what the small print says. Also, sending checks I have the gift already paid for.
If I didn't have the money people got smaller checks or gifts, A couple of years, no one got any. I have never charged anything and not paid it in full the same day the bill came. I learned this over 50 years ago after going through a bankruptcy. I don't carry much cash with me and my method is working out fine. You could wrap a check!! My recipients all seem to be happy. I have college kids coming this Christmas to the house and although I did get them a small gift, I wrapped their checks in boxes. Nancy A

smkymtsu
12-07-2006, 11:51 AM
I have some people on my list who asked for gift cards. I see nothing wrong with them.
Susan

shuggy
12-07-2006, 12:07 PM
i'm a totally gift card giver. i love the idea of giving gifts. i love shopping for those gifts. but i am THE WORST at trying to come up with what to give someone. so much that it turns the whole process into a bahumbug experience. so i just buy gift cards now. i declared at my family gathering that i would be doing this for christmas and wanted to know where people would want their gift cards to and my mom freaked out. she said it was so insensitive and i was just being lazy. i then asked my brother how he liked his birthay present. i got him a gift card to amazon.com. he bought some totally obscure book that he never otherwise would have gotten, but has wanted it for years. he was so excited!! i think that is the prime example of why gift card giving is acceptable!! everyone is happy--giver and reciever!!!

wow...that was kind of long!

midnitecreations
12-07-2006, 12:51 PM
When I gave gift cards to the teachers last year, I got more thank yous than I've ever gotten before with things I'd bought or made. My teen DS prefers the visa gift cards because most of what he wants, he gets on-line now. My mother has a hard time shopping, so that is her favorite gift to give. The only thing I don't like about it is, if it is just done inside a card and handed out. I like opening presents, and find creative ways to wrap them up. Last year, we gave one to our nephew and actually wraped a brick with the gift card taped to it. He had no idea what he was getting! For my DS, we did a treasure hunt and he found his cards (from his grandparents) along the hunt. It was sooo much fun. renu