The Easiest Way to Organize Gift Cards
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We’ve all been there.
Christmas comes and goes {and if you’re like my husband, a birthday soon after!} and you’ve discovered your purse or wallet is bulging with gift cards. Whether it’s a $5 card from a white elephant exchange, or a $100 gift card from a generous relative, each one takes up the same amount of space.
In order to keep the zipper on my wallet from ripping, I usually just set those gift cards aside in my night stand or dresser. Then 12 to 18 months later….out of sight, out of mind. The gift that was meant to keep on giving, ended up not giving at all. And I have dozens of gift cards that are completely unspent.
What finally gave me the inspiration to make a change, was Raise.com. This website is basically free money in the form of gift cards. You can get a $65 Home Depot gift card for $60. A $48 TJMaxx card for $38. Even a $15 Starbucks gift card for $14. (Note: all of these prices vary and may not be the same as they were the day I wrote this article).
I use my hacking tricks to score extra “discounts” for stores and restaurants that Joseph and I frequently go to, thus saving us even more money on everyday expenses. But of course, for this plan to work, I can’t be leaving these gift cards in my dresser for a year and a half!
Enter: My favorite way to keep track of all those gift cards.
Step 1: Use a Dedicated Gift Card Organizer
It’s easy to stuff gift cards in your purse or wallet, but then you have to fish around FOREVER to find the one you need. It’s just not practical. I searched around for a solution and found this perfect gift card organizer on Amazon.
Here’s why I love it:
- Size – This organizer is small enough so I can easily throw this in my purse, but still large enough for me to be able to quickly grab when I need it.
- Accessibility – If I’m pulling a card out of my wallet, I have to be able to identify the gift card by the tiny stripe that is sticking out above the card in front of it. With this book, I can just flip through and quickly pull the card I’m looking for, no hassle required. Also, I can easily see how much is left on a card without pulling it out! {More on that later}
- It’s Cute – Do I really need to say more on this one? Plus, there’s lots of different colors to choose from too!
Whether you buy this organizer, or something different, you should at least have some sort of tool to organize all those cards…especially if you’ll be carrying a lot of them around.
Step 2: Keep Track of Your Balance
If you have a bunch of gift cards left over, but are not spending them because you don’t know how much is left, you’re losing money. Some cards have this nasty habit of depreciating after a certain period of time, eventually taking their balance down to $0. Even if it’s only a few cents, you want to remember to use them up.
Here’s what I do to keep this from happening.
- Record the Balance – I usually keep a Fine Tip Sharpie Marker with me because they are the best for writing on the shiny plastic without smearing. You can also stick a piece of paper in your gift card holder {in the same slot as the gift card} and keep track of your balance on there. Either way, every time you use the gift card, check the receipt or ask the cashier what your remaining balance is, then write it down—either on the card or on your tracker.
- Spend the Entire Gift Card – Repeat after me: “I will not throw away a gift card that has money on it.” Yes, even if you only have $.75 on the card! I’m a huge sticker for this because since 2005, it is estimated that companies have made $45.7 BILLION dollars from unused gift cards. I’m all for donating to charity, but I have never seen Amazon or Target as my charities of choice. Remember, you can still use cash, credit, or a debit card to fund the rest of the purchase.
Personally, I love that gift cards aren’t just for gift-related purchases anymore. They are a great way to stay within your budget without carrying cash {kind of like the cash envelope system, but with gift cards}. And if you get buy them at a discount through a site like Raise.com….even better!
So go ahead and nab your own adorable organizer, then comb through your junk drawers, purse, wallet, you name it, and get those gift cards neatly organized. I promise you’ll use them a lot more often, which means guilt-free spending, and a lot more savings.
How do you remember to use your gift cards?
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.
I have something similar to organize my gift cards. I keep my rewards cards and the gift cards in the same one though, which after taking advantage of all those great gift card deals over the holidays has led to a bit of a problem. Now I can’t get them out! And if I can still have to dig through them! I might have to rethink my strategy lol.
Kind of like having an overstuffed wallet! 🙂 It’s not necessarily a bad problem to have though.
The organizer is pretty cute! I have to admit I usually don’t have any to organize. I tend to spend them pretty quickly.
Nothing wrong with that! I’m pretty indecisive when it comes to spending gift cards that have been given to me, and my husband is notorious for leaving a dollar or two unspent.