I love getting gifts but when it comes to actually using them, I can be very slow.  Especially when my gift is a gift card or gift certificate.  On average, I keep a gift card for at least six months, often going to the store that the gift card is for and spending my own cash on something, sometimes because I have forgotten that I had a gift card, and oftentimes because I think what I’m buying isn’t “worth spending my gift card on”.  That might sound weird but I like to be able to tell people that I used their gift card to buy something great, and be able to show them my great gift, too.

Let’s take a look at the gift cards I have lurking  about by category:

Books (all are for use in a Chapters store or its affiliates)

From my parents for my birthday 2007. 

From friends for Christmas 2005 

Won in 2004 or early 2005

From a friend for my birthday, 2006

Crafting and hobby gift cards

Received free with the purchase of my digital camera from Black’s in May 2006

Two gift cards for Michaels (last birthday)!  And I haven’t been into a Michaels store since I received them (shocker!!).

Received for my last birthday (also from Black’s)

Retail

For clothing from Reitmans; received Christmas 2006

Also received Christmas 2006…and God knows I’ve been to Walmart once or two hundred times since last Christmas

Received from my would-be boyfriend, 2006

Food and drink

Received on my last birthday.  It’s one of the prettiest cards I have

Received earlier this year

Clearly I need to get spending, especially the ones for edibles, but really I’m not doing too bad.  We recently had a customer come to the clothing store I work in part time to redeem a gift certificate she found while cleaning her home.  She received the gift certificate in 1999!

And after one year I did use the gift certificate I received for a manicure and pedicure, just before the wedding.

Slowly but surely.

Filed under: Introspective, Mundane by jummy