***Watch the segment by clicking the link below!***
Please join me on Houston Life KPRC Channel 2 Houston where I will be sharing tips to help you decide what to do with those unwanted gifts from the holidays and save a little money. Check out the fun TV SEGMENT.
Every once in a while we get an item that maybe is not our style or that does not fit properly. Don’t worry, most national stores will allow you to turn in the item for store credit. They will search their system for the item and give you the lowest price that the item sold for during the holidays. That is not necessarily what the item was purchased for, but it is what the store will give you back in store credit. That is if you do not have a gift receipt. If you were given a gift receipt then you will be able to get the price paid for the item and this makes things much easier.
Exchanges are where you exchange the item for a different size or color. The value is the same for the item being exchanged and the new item. The store will give you a dollar amount of the item, then you pick another item to get in that price range.
Gift Cards
You can try to sell them on an online website like Ebay, Gift Card Granny or Card pool. The price of a $50 Target gift card will sell online from $35 to $40. So, you will be loosing a good bit of money through this type of sale.
A better choice is to use your local Facebook or Trading group to trade your gift card for another gift card for the same value. For instance if you have a Home Depot $50 gift card that you know you will not use, ask in the group for a trade to Kohl’s or Target. There are lots of possibilities with this, but be careful and check the balance of that the card you are trading for, before making the transaction complete.
Re-Gifting
I know this is very controversial, but in the new year where everything is about using what you have instead of buying more, recycling and reusing, this is a great fit! A family member has a great system that she uses to re-gift items that are not her style. She has a shelf in her closet that she puts gifts. She will place a sticky note on the gift of who gave the item to her, what part of the family and the occasion that the gift was given. That way when she wants to re-use the gift, she does not give it in the same circle that it was given. This is a small step that ensures feeling do not get hurt from the original gift giver.
These are just a few ways to make sure that those gifts and gift cards get used.
Save Online with Discounts
Ebates is now Rakuten and it is super easy to save. Sign up for a Free account, then go through their website before heading on to the store that you choose. All coupons can still be applied for the transactions that you find and you will earn cash back on your purchases. Right now Rakuten is offering Double Double cash back so the savings will add up fast.
Earning potential examples for your cash back bank:
Macy’s 6% was 2%
Old Navy 10% was 2%
COACH and Athleta 4% was 2%
Refer a friend program: use the link provided and you can earn $10 off your $25 purchase and I will get a cash back offer as well.
*If you like saving money (Who doesn’t?!), Browse and Print FREE Grocery Coupons for all your Favorite Brands at CouponSurfer.com. Start Saving Today! You save money, and, as an affiliate, we may receive a small fee for your free participation in CouponSurfer.
Look for coupons to restaurants so that you can save a little money when you dine out. Usually around the holidays, restaurants offer bonus gift cards with the purchase of a gift card (like spend $50 get $10 free). If it’s a restaurant I know we will visit, I take advantage of these offers for free dining dollars.
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