August 13th, 2012

Blog:  Gifts on a Budget.  Step #3:  If you like to buy gift cards for Christmas gifts, you should buy them closer to the Christmas season.  Many restaurants give you a bonus gift card (around $10)  if you buy $50 - $100 in gift cards.    Last year, Walmart even gave a small discount on merchandise gift cards (not their own).  I believe it was around a $.50 savings on each gift card.  If you have many gift cards to buy from different places, you should start buying a couple each month  from now until Christmas.  It's just a little extra money out of each paycheck, but really helps when you get closer to Christmas and don't have to come up with all that money at once!  If you like to wait till closer to Christmas, most places will ship your gift card to your friend or family member free of charge.  Each year at Tax Return time, I try to buy several different gift cards to put away for birthday gifts throughout the year.  Some restuarants give discounts several times a year on their gift cards.  There is a restaurant in Tampa  on Ehrlich Road (La Casa Della Pasta) that is offering their $25 gift card right now for $10!  Keep your eyes out for deals like this that you can buy before Christmas to save you money!