05 Dec This Is The Worst Gift That Everyone Is Still Buying
Every holiday season, there is a mad scramble to the stores in order to find the perfect gift…or in some cases, just any gift. Whether you are looking for that special someone in your life to see their face light up on that magical Christmas morning, or you just need a quick object under $20 for the office White Elephant exchange, there’s a lot of gift-buying this time of year.
However, there is one gift that is extremely popular that everyone tends to give and businesses of all kinds LOVE to sell. I’m recommending that you never give one again unless you have a very good and planned reason to do so. One of the worst presents you can give is the gift of a GIFT CARD!
Dun dun duunnnnn. What? You were expecting Tickle-Me Elmo? He’s a bad, annoying present too but makes for a great doggy toy (that wasn’t planned, but our pup, Leia, loves him!). Here’s the proof. Last year in 2017, and this is a recurring trend, over $1 BILLION DOLLARS in gift cards were lost or went unspent. That’s a LOT of people who essentially got nothing for their gift.
So why are gift cards such bad ideas? Here’s a quick list:
- They get misplaced or lost
- People don’t use the entire balance of the card
- Some of the cards expire
- The recipient may not like the establishment the gift card belongs to
- The establishment not close by (there’s no Olive Garden around here)
And businesses know gift cards don’t get used or used in their entirety. That’s why EVERYONE sells gift cards this time of year. They don’t have to pay back what doesn’t get spent. It’s free money! In fact, gift cards are so bad, that there is a market for unused gift cards! That’s right! Someone basically gave you money you can only use at a certain place you don’t like, so now you can sell it online for even less money…but it’s more money than you would’ve had since you didn’t plan to go to that establishment anyway, make sense? Okay, follow this kind of real life example.
It’s a frigid morning but the cold can’t touch you while you’re wrapped in this fuzzy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand. It’s beautiful inside and outside. The ground is covered by a sheet of white as if some overzealous kids had toilet papered the entire world. A fire burns off in the corner and you wonder how an overweight guy in a red suit could make it down to your living room with a bag of presents and not be completely filthy. The sounds of glee and joy are all around you as your family members open gifts. Then someone snaps you back into the action.
Harry: Well, c’mon now! Let’s have a go at my gift, Hermione.
You: Oh, absolutely! Which one is yours? (Harry hands you a little gift wrapped rectangle).
Harry: Ron told me you love this place!
You: (tearing the paper off) Oh…it’s a $50 gift card…to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Umm…(you look up at Harry whose just delighted in the gift and awaiting your reaction). It’s fantastic. Thank you sooo much, Harry. It really was quite thoughtful. (Harry turns away and you immediately turn and stare at Ron. He shrugs not knowing what he did wrong).
(A few hours later)
You are cleaning up the ribbons and torn decorative paper while neatly stacking the wonderful gifts you were given in a pile to put away later. You pick up the gift card that Harry gave you and sigh heavily. Why would Ron tell Harry I love that store? His brother owns the store so we get cheap stuff anyway. And it’s Ron that buys things from there, not me! He should know I would much rather have a gift card to get a book from Flourish and Blotts. (sigh) So much for that gift.
Many of us have had a similar experience to this one. So why would you want to risk giving that same experience to someone else? Even if they did want the gift card, it’s like to go missing. But you know what people don’t lose very often? Dead presidential flashcards. Greenbacks. Legal tender. Cash!
Many are against this as it seems impersonal. I used to be one of those. I would often buy a gift and attach a gift card with it. But now, I have changed my ways and give cash so the giftee can use it to whatever his or her heart desires. Because what really matters is giving a gift that will be USED and HELPFUL. Not something that could sink to the bottom of the junk drawer in the kitchen for the next 10 years.
True story. We moved into a new house 8 months ago. As we were cleaning out drawers, I found a Ziploc bag with tons of gift cards in it that had a balance of $439!!! I spent two hours checking the balance on them all online. Some had money and some had zero balance and all of them were from Christmases and birthdays dating back 3 years prior to a few months ago. The worst was one to an ice cream establishment we don’t frequent often (it’s nowhere close to us) for $5. We still haven’t used it after 3 years. I’m not driving across town for an ice cream because I have a $5 gift card…and that’ll just cover ONE ice cream. Then I’ll have to buy two (cuz who gets ice cream alone?). I’d rather go to Publix and just get a gallon of some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and call it a day.
So this year, beat the corporations, don’t waste time going to a store to get one and simply give the gift that NO ONE will ever turn down. Straight cash, homie.