So my wife received a gift card for Christmas and its for a store that she's indifferent to. Mid January, she hasnt touched it at all. When i brought it up, she said she would've preferred an actual gift so she wouldnt have to go through the work of shopping at that particular store. Also she just felt it was a lazy thing to do than to actually think of something she would've loved to get as a gift
Personally, i love gift cards cause Cash seems too easy of a cop out and you can get whatever you want with said gift card.
It's also to easy for the gift giver to mess up on whatever physical gift you get
I love gift cards. Cash can be spent on anything but you likely won't remember what you bought with that money. A gift card is nice because you have to buy something from that store/mall and you'll usually remember you bought a pair of runners or whatever. That's what a gift should be, something you remember.
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I love gift cards. Cash can be spent on anything but you likely won't remember what you bought with that money. A gift card is nice because you have to buy something from that store/mall and you'll usually remember you bought a pair of runners or whatever. That's what a gift should be, something you remember.
This about sums it up.
If someone gives me cash it usually just ends up in my wallet and spent on day to day things.
In general I'd choose the gift card. But if it was to somewhere like Walmart, where I can't stand the thought of shopping, I'd be annoyed too. Or maybe just re-gift it. Cash would be okay, but as others said, it would tend to just get spent on daily stuff.
In general I'd choose the gift card. But if it was to somewhere like Walmart, where I can't stand the thought of shopping, I'd be annoyed too. Or maybe just re-gift it. Cash would be okay, but as others said, it would tend to just get spent on daily stuff.
Yeah I agree, I'd hate a gift card from Walmart but if I was a single parent raising kids on my own I'd probably not mind that.
To me the best gift card is somewhere where you can use it anywhere in a mall. No point in limiting someone to one store when you can buy a gift card that can be used at a few hundred stores.
To me, a gift is more personified. It's like a small bit of the relationship you have with that person.
It's the difference between, for example, me getting my friend a Liquor Barn gift card, or going there myself and buying him a replica Crystal Skull Vodka from the Indiana Jones movie. The former may be more practical in ways, but the latter is a bit of a statement from you.
If I don't know the person I'll do a giftcard, but if I do - even if it's a book, a figurine, or some game off Steam I try to make it an actual traditional gift. When they like it, it's the best feeling ever. Isn't that the feeling you live for at Christmastime? More so than opening your own gifts?
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So y'all are telling me that if I bought you, for example, a $50 Keg gift card you'd appreciate it even though you've never eaten at nor intend on eating at The Keg? And when the bill comes, two scenarios happen because nobody eats exactly $50.
a) this "gift" ends up costing you money because the bill is more than $50
b) this "gift" forces you to go to the keg a second time because the bill came in under $50; at which point this second trip will cost you money
c) this balance of the "gift" is wasted
In my opinion, gift cards are for people who are too lazy to actually put though into getting a physical gift. In the example above, if I think my friend would like a trip to the Keg, I write an awesome-possom card as a "gift certificate" for a night out at the Keg on my dime. This way I actually bought my friend an experience at the Keg AND I took time out of my day to spend time with said friend. AND, during said dinner, engage in meaningful conversations and mentally note down great ideas for the next gift.
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For Christmas, my father gave my brother and I gift cards to one of the local malls, knowing full well we were leaving the city three days later. There was a huge snowstorm on Christmas so no one went went out Boxing day. This forced us to brave crazy mall crowds/parking lots on the 27th
Love my dad, but what a dumb gift
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I'd prefer a gift, but people seem to not be good at buying me presents. They'll say "Hey, what would you like for your birthday/Christmas?" and I'll say "Well, this thing or that thing" and then I get something totally different. Or sometimes I get a random gift and it's like, an outdoor survival knife or a compass or something (I am not outdoor-sy at all). I appreciate the thought, but a gift card probably would've been a better use of money.
So I suppose if you are confident in your gift giving abilities and know the person well, a gift is better. But if you suck at giving gifts and/or aren't sure, the gift card/cash option is much safer.
A gift would be great if the giver knew what to get, but gifts tend to be things I don't use anyway. So even if I don't use the entire amount of the gift card, it's better than something I don't use at all. If I give a gift card, I try to put some thought into the kind that person will like.
For example, my mother knows I like to read and often buys me a book for Christmas. Nine times out of ten, I already have it or have read it. A gift card to Chapters would be appreciated and I could get something new.
About the only gift cards I get are for ebook stores for people who I know what device they have. They can use it online, buy what they want, but you still give them a gift of a book.
I don't understand how buying a gift card is lazy. You still have to travel to that store and buy them the gift card as opposed to guessing what the person wants and buying it. Both take pretty much the exact same time and thought. If I'm buying for my dad and I know he likes hunting stuff I'll buy a gift card that can be used on hunting gear. Or I can just buy him hunting boots or whatever and hope he likes them.
There really isn't much thought into buying a gift, just nervousness wondering if they'll like it. If I'm buying my niece a birthday present I can either buy her a useless toy she will never use after the first couple days or her parents can buy her something she actually wants.
Money is the laziest thing someone can give. Some times it's the best gift to give someone if you know they need the cash but if they don't then I don't see why you'd give them cash.
Gift, gift card or cold hard cash?
