As a normal part of our financial review, I try to stay on top of our available gift card balances quarterly. COVID changed everything, because we stopped traveling, and had vacations purchased, and now have stored credit. I'm not very excited about the amount of travel credit we have (well, pre-paid travel is great, but even better if this was just in our savings account.) I'm trying hard to stay on top of it, particularly because it's such a high amount in 2021.
Here are the various gift cards we have:
- Climbing wall gym (Christmas gifts to the boys last year, that they've been unable to use due to COVID) - $200
- Chick Fil A - $15
- Marriott - $400
- Gap - $58.62
- Starbucks - $262.12
- Subway - $10
- Alaska Airlines - $3,385
- Target - $559.94
- Panera - $46
- Delta Airlines - $1,141
- Chipotle - $25
- TJ Maxx - $11.77
- Uber - $215.16
- A soccer store - $114.17
- United Airlines - $1114.60
Total in gift cards/credits - $7,342.56
I'm not worried about being able to use the Alaska credit, as that's our preferred airline & represents how much we'd spend in about 18 months (including covering travel for my parents). Delta will be more challenging, as that was purchased for an Italy trip (cancelled 15th anniversary) & we don't regularly fly Delta. When travel opens back up again, I may try to sell this credit. As for United, we don't typically fly United, other than going to Canada, so we'll have to get creative about our plans in 2021+ (realistically, 2022+). We're staying at a Marriott in Hawaii (assuming we are able to go in June), so we will definitely use those gift cards.
My plan for the Starbucks credit is to use it to offset breakfasts in Hawaii (there's a Starbucks near our hotel, and is where we picked up breakfast sandwiches in the mornings, given don't have much in the way of a kitchen). For Target, I'm wondering if I can get creative & start using that money to offset some of our grocery budget, by planning a monthly trip to stock up. I'm always looking for creative ways to reduce our grocery budget!
The Uber credit was used in previous times for trips to and from the airport for international work trips (I then get reimbursed). I may instead plan to use this for birthday dinners (Uber Eats) for the three of us (Nick, Sam & I all have birthdays within one month). To be honest, Nick would most likely prefer Chick Fil A over any other restaurant, so maybe I'll do that instead.
For other gift cards with a lot of value, that just leaves the soccer shop. So far, there's been minimal soccer playing due to COVID, so I'll just hold on to this gift card, and cross my fingers they don't go out of business. And, the climbing wall gym. Fingers crossed that one day they can safely re-open.
What about you? Do you inventory your gift cards regularly? Do you have travel credits due to COVID & cancelled plans?
Wow, even without the credits, that is lot of gift cards to manage. Always nice to have one to draw upon.
ReplyDeleteI know! The soccer gift card was a gift Nick won. A few of the other gift cards were also prizes for various things. Then a handful of intentional purchases, then the travel credits. It's a mixed bag. I want to use them thoughtfully.
DeleteWow, that is quite an inventory! I don't inventory gift cards because I rarely, if ever, have any. Yet, I do have two right now because of COVID: 1) Delta credit due to cancelled trip to France and 2) Local restaurant due to gift card we bought ourselves to support them during the lockdown. Looking forward to using both of them sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned this a ways back, but I have several hundred dollars of a restaurant that M used to always take the boys to when I traveled. They went out of business right when COVID started (it was a salad bar type, and it was clear to them that their business model wouldn't adapt). So, that sucks.
DeleteHope you are able to use your local restaurant! Perhaps get takeout instead?
Restaurants in Minnesota were allowed to reopen this week, so we've already started using the gift card. Each time we go, we're putting half of the bill on the gift card and paying the remainder in cash so they have additional cash coming in as well.
DeleteWe cancelled a three week trip to Franc and Ireland last year. We had our tickets and bed and breakfasts. Got all our money back except for the Louvre.
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss that you were planning that trip? Sounds amazing! Great news that you were able to get most of your money back
DeleteI buy groceries at Target online. It works well for some pantry items.
ReplyDeletewWe are trying to rebook a girls trip on United for this July and the prices are much higher than pre Covid so we've waited.
Thanks - I'll definitely check it out & see if I can use it for pantry items.
DeletePrices have been really erratic & unpredictable. We've found some great deals, and also some extraordinarily high ones. Kind of the luck of the draw. Hope you are able to find something.
Wow! This is a nice problem to have. I do keep track of all our gcs too. I know exactly what we have at any given time (we don't have nearly as much as you do). I make little notes whenever I use any gc, so it's easy to see the available balance.
ReplyDeleteTarget is great for HBA items too. I like to buy what we need when they have a nice gc deal on beauty or groceries. That way I'm still earning some gcs back for future use.
I went to Target this weekend & stocked up on a few grocery items we needed, as well as some snacks. I'm glad I thought of it.
DeleteI usually do not have any gift cards except to Captain D’s a chain seafood restaurant. I am given that gift card because I love it. Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteI go through phases, but our local grocery store offers free groceries when you buy gift cards. Particularly for Uber, which I (pre-COVID) needed for work travel. Now, not so much!
DeleteTesting to see if I can get this short message through:
ReplyDeleteYou did good! We got refunds for all our unused tickets, but now I somewhat wish we had gotten credits instead.
If you decide to sell the Delta credits I would be very interested as they are our preferred airline these days.
I dropped you a comment on your blog - feel free to email me about the Delta gift cards!
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