Clearing out old Gift Cards

[Greg44]

I found several random gift cards with various balances left on them. Want to use them up this Spring/Summer...
Can gift the ones with $ 25.00 and use the rest. It seems like I forget to use them when I are out, but now that I
have the balances confirmed I will make a concerted effort to clear them all out. Does anyone else struggle with
Gift Cards floating around with balances?!

Nike $ 6.00, $ 25.00, $ 33.39
Old Navy $ 25.00
Olive Garden $ 6.00
Applebee's $ 25.00
Chipotle $ 0.95
Sonic Drive In $ 5.00

[happystuff]

I try to put a tiny piece of tape or post-it on each gift card with the balance written on it. They go into my wallet - which sometimes really makes it hard to open and close! That is my motivation to use them!

BTW - looks like you have enough Nike for a new pair of shoes!!!!

[ToomuchStuff]

I actually found one when cleaning out the "junk drawer", as the person that put it in there, used them as scrappers often.
I have one that has little more then a dollar on it (gas card). Generally I don't have an issue with that.

[rosarugosa]

Happy: you can also write the balance on the card with a Sharpie. I saw someone else do this once, and I adopted the practice.

[happystuff]

Happy: you can also write the balance on the card with a Sharpie. I saw someone else do this once, and I adopted the practice.

Thanks. I wonder if the old amount easily wipes off to write the new amount on? Would hate to have a scribbled up gc. LOL

[Tybee]

I wrap mine in the receipt and keep it in the car. A rubber band around it would be even better.

[KayLR]

yes, I have a Barnes and Noble one I wonder if I will ever use. It has $25 on it.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks. I wonder if the old amount easily wipes off to write the new amount on? Would hate to have a scribbled up gc. LOL

I do cross out and write the new amount. It doesn't have to be pretty, just legible. I don't often have one large enough to have multiple transactions.

[jp1]

My problem is that I don't often frequent any of the places for which I have gift cards. I have starbucks and Panera bread and costco gift cards and honestly the only chain places I regularly go to are Safeway and Taco Bell. I keep a simple wallet so I'm not going to carry these cards around for years until they get used. Maybe I could download the Starbucks and Panera apps and put the cards in there electronically on the off chance that I one day find myself in one of their stores.

[catherine]

I have started a new policy of using the gift cards I get as soon as possible. Others, I forget I have them, or they sit around forever, or I lose them. If I have a gift card with a remaining balance, I write the balance on the card with a Sharpie marker. Or if it's a major credit card gift card I load it on to my Amazon account.

My brother is an amateur artist and he always gives me $50 gift cards for my birthday and Christmas, so I honor who he is by using them to buy art supplies.