Save on Christmas Shopping With This Clever Gift Card Strategy

Advertiser Disclosure ▾

This page contains affiliate links from which we receive a compensation. Like many publications Wise Bread is supported by affiliate commission from partner companies whose products appear on our site. This may influence which products we write about and the location and order in which products appear. We aren't able to cover every product in the marketplace.

Wise Bread Picks

• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Last year, the average American spent $882 on holiday gifts — and that amount does not include money spent on décor, meals, or clothes. Many people rack up credit card debt, and with high interest rates, that can make payments on their Christmas purchases for months after the holiday.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still celebrate Christmas with gifts and decorations without going into debt. Using discounted gift cards is an ingenious way to stretch your budget further and minimize debt.

Why So Many Gift Cards Are Available at a Discount

There’s a reason stores love selling gift cards. Each year, you likely receive gift certificates or cards for your birthday or other holidays. And while it’s the thought that counts, you probably tucked one or two away in a drawer and forgot about them. The average person has $300 in gift cards going unused, and over $41 billion in cards went unredeemed from 2011 to 2015.

Most of the time, cards are stagnant because the gift recipient does not shop at the selected store, or items at the location are too expensive to be covered by the balance of the card. Rather than let the card just sit in a drawer gathering dust, many people opt to get money back in their pockets by selling them.

Cheap cards are available through online sites that are 3% to 30% less than their value. From Sephora to Target, you can get a gift card at a significant discount, allowing you to buy more with your money.

Using a Discounted Gift Card

Purchasing a gift card at a reduced price is like giving yourself a huge coupon. For example, you can get a $250H&M gift card for just $169.62, saving you $80.38. That means you can buy $250 worth of merchandise at a 32% discount. With that savings, you can buy more items within your budget — or save it.

Alternatively, you can gift loves ones a discounted gift card and let them go shopping themselves. Buying a gift card at a reduced price allows you to give a more generous holiday present without breaking the bank.

Where to Buy Cards

There are many sites that sell a wide range of discounted cards. These are three of the most popular.

• Gift Card Granny offers discounted cards from hundreds of retailers, from large big box stores to niche chains. Discounts change each day, and you can find cards marked 50% under their actual value.
   
• Cardpool sells cards up to 35% under value. They offer gift cards to stores like Lowe’s, Best Buy, Target, and more.
   
• Gift card Zen is part of coupon site RetailMeNot. You can find cards for hundreds of retailers, including AMC Theatres, American Girl, and Macy’s.

Purchasing gift cards and using them for your Christmas shopping is an easy way to get more from your money. You can get a significant discount on your purchases, letting you celebrate the holiday without going broke.

Like this article? Pin it!