I’m guessing that you have some unused gift cards stashed away somewhere. You may have forgotten about them. Even if you didn’t, you may not remember how much money is left on them. An article on cnbc.com posted last year states: “Half of Americans currently own unredeemed gift cards or store credits, according to a new survey from Bankrate. The average person with unused gift cards is sitting on $167 in free money.” Gift cards are a convenience for the gift…
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I said something to a client recently that, she reported later, was really helpful to her. I’m sharing it here in the hope that others will benefit from it. She was struggling about getting rid of something because it was a gift. I asked her, “When you received the gift, did you say thank you?” Of course she replied yes, and I responded, “Then you have fulfilled your obligation as the recipient.” I’ve written on this topic before (see Guilt-Free…
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I had my birthday last week. For many years, I have taken the day off from work on my birthday, as does my husband. I always plan some NYC-themed activity — a museum, a Broadway show, or some other special event. Having an April birthday means we have to plan for rain. Usually I have a sunny-day plan and weather-proof plan. The weather-proof plan was to attend the highly-acclaimed Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. After I made that decision, it occurred…
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I was working with a client a few days ago, and she came across her collection of unused gift cards. I suggested a way to use them. She was so excited that I decided to share the idea with you all. Why not send your unredeemed gift cards to the folks on your holiday gift list? If you haven’t been able to use a Barnes & Noble gift card, give it the book lover on your list. Never going to…
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For years, I have been saying that the best gifts are experiences, not things (see Better Ways to Spend and Putting the Holidays in Perspective). Now it seems that the rest of the country has caught up to me. The storage company SpareFoot has just released the results of a survey: “79 percent of the U.S. population, and 89 percent of millennials, say they never use some of the gifts they receive each year.” As a result, “a whopping 81 percent…
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