1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: tip is to make a plan for using those gift 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: cards that you and family members may have received over 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: the holidays. I'm writing this tip as much for me 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: as anyone else. Each year, my older kids in particular, 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: wind up receiving gift cards from far flung friends and 8 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: family members. We note who has received what so we 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: can send thank you notes, but that thank you writing 10 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: process tends to happen prior to the gift cards being used. 11 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: Over the next week or so after Christmas, the piles 12 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: of presents get moved up to people's bedrooms, my kids 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: get absorbed in other things like traveling to see relatives 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,639 Speaker 1: and then starting up school again. In the course of this, 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: gift cards can wind up lost or forgotten, and this 16 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: seems like a waste. I mean, I love Amazon, Target, 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: Dick's Sporting Goods, and other retailers as much as anyone, 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: but I don't really think they need the free money. 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: So this year, I'm resolving that all gift cards are 20 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: going to go in an envelope with the recipient's name 21 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: on it. As soon as we've made a note for 22 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: thanking purposes. And then each person who has a gift 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: card envelope is going to get a designated day for 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: using them. I plan my weeks on Friday afternoons and 25 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: so on. A handful of Fridays in January and February, 26 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: I will set a day in the upcoming week to 27 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: feature one envelope. I might decide that my twelve year 28 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: old will get the following Sunday. I'll tell him a 29 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: few days ahead of time that this is his official 30 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: gift card day. We'll discuss what he might want, and 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: he can do some research and think about it. Then 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: on the official gift card day, we'll make our online 33 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: purchases and visit any retailers that we'd prefer to visit 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: in person. By making this an official priority for the 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: week I think it's far more likely to happen now. 36 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: Of course, there are other ways to make sure gift 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: cards get used too. For instance, they are very easy 38 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: to regift. If you receive more than you know what 39 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: to do with, you could hang on to a feud 40 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: to give to other people for birthdays or bar mitzvahs 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: or the like. And if you get a card to 42 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: a retailer that you're pretty sure you won't use. There 43 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: are sites such as card pool or card cash that 44 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: will take your gift card for somewhere between seventy to 45 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: eighty cents on the dollar usually, and you could sell 46 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: them off at rays and also buy discounted cards for 47 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: somewhere that you would like to use. But for most 48 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: of us, I think it's as much about making the 49 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: time as finding something that we'd want. By designating official 50 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: gift card using days in January and February, we can 51 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: make sure that we don't leave money on the table. 52 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,679 Speaker 1: If you have a good system for making sure you 53 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: and your family use your gift cards, please let me 54 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: know about it. You can email me at Before Breakfast 55 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 56 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 57 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 58 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 59 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 60 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the number four then 61 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at 62 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast 63 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 64 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 65 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 66 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 67 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.