With Christmas only a few days away, holiday shopping is on the minds of many. You
might have gotten off to a solid start but have a few people left on your list
that have you stumped when it comes to deciding what to get them. One of the
simplest ways to check them off as complete is to pick up a few gift cards.
Clearly, they have become a go-to gift given that Americans spent nearly
$32 billion on gift cards last year. So it should come as no surprise
that you'll hear a lot more about gift cards as November rolls on. This is
particularly true of your Facebook friends and family, who are probably
choosing sides with one camp believing gift cards to be far superior to
traditional gifts and the others finding them incredibly impersonal. This
guide will go over the case for and against gift cards and give you some tips
on how to save money when shopping for them. Visit penair.org/GiftCard to find out how to make your shopping a one stop shop!
Gift cards are
more personal than cash because they show some thought about the recipient.
Gift cards are also more secure than cash, particularly when being
shipped in the mail system. They also have a favorable impact on your
gift budget as opposed to bulkier gifts because shipping costs are much lower.
Gift cards also solve a persistent economic problem that makes an
appearance in long-form think pieces within articles in the Atlantic or Slate
every holiday season. Those pieces are usually accompanied by a few days of
Facebook shares and retweets on the topic: deadweight. This theory states
that a gift giver can't give an economically efficient gift because, if the
item on which you spend $100 is worth $100 to the recipient, they would have
bought it for themselves. How many times have you received a sweater that
doesn't fit or a new gadget you don't want? Or how often have you
received a gift that is close to what you wanted, but not quite right? It
happens. In fact, an entire market exists for B-movies that are designed to
look like the year's most popular films, mainly to fool the unwary shopper at
holiday time. Gift cards solve this problem by letting the recipient
choose his or her own gift; just ask any 11-year-old who gets a copy of
"Triassic World" or "The Revengers" this year.
Other ways to save money include looking for promotions.
Many chain restaurants offer gift card bonuses. For example, suppose you
buy $100 worth of gift cards to a Chili's. You might be able to get a
free $25 card for yourself. It's never a bad idea to get a free dinner,
and during the busy holiday season, it's even better.
This season shouldn't be about stress and pressure. If you
find yourself overwhelmed, take a break and drink some eggnog. If you
find yourself short on cash, check out our Christmas Club accounts, so you can
be set for next year.
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