Best Ways to Milk Gift Cards for All They're Worth

Gift cards are becoming more and more popular. In fact, their sales reached $100 billion in 2012, according to the TowerGroup. Although they can be worth a lot, gift cards are small in size. This means there is a great potential for losing them or forgetting they exist. 

When payday loans are a necessity and money is tight, using gift cards can be a great tool to save. Below are the best ways to make sure a gift card gets used for all it's worth. 

Carry It With You 

Many people will stuff their gift cards into a drawer and then realize they could have used them on their trip to a mall in Oregon or elsewhere. It is sometimes difficult to remember that gift cards are waiting to be used when there are so many payday loans to be paid. 

The best way to combat this is to keep gift cards in a purse or wallet that normally accompanies you everywhere. That way when opportunity strikes, the gift card will be there for use. Especially if the gift card is for one specific store, being at that store can act as a reminder that there is a gift card waiting to be used. 

Combine Gift Card With Coupons 

Many stores in Oregon and around the United States don’t let you combine coupons. They will, however, allow a gift card and coupon combination. Doing this will combine forces to make for the cheapest purchase possible. 

This can be a huge help when you have payday loans that have yet to be repaid. This way, shopping trips don't have to be completely nixed; they just have to be strategized. 

Don't Buy Just to Buy 

Although it may be tempting to spend gift cards on the first thing found in the right store, don't fall into this trap. Wait for something that is a worthwhile purchase, and make sure to have the gift card on hand once it is found. 

Using these tips will help those in Oregon and across the states inflate the usefulness of gift cards, making them a tool for smart spending. 

Shauna Holdaway is a finance writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Quik Check Financial.