So Where are those Gift Cards?

In 2007 a research firm estimated the value of unused gift cards in the U.S. at $8 billion for 2006. So where are your giftcards, the ones you received for Christmas or your birthday last year? Are they hiding in your desk? In your wallet or purse? Or do you have no clue? I have a single drawer where all of them are kept and I think I seriously counted 16 cards the other day. This my friends is FREE MONEY. I will not succumb to the $8 billion statistic, I use my cards with zeal and purpose. Take a moment right now and see if you can collect all of your unused giftcards into one location and then take stock of what you have. Typically there is a phone number listed so you can find the remaining value of each. My husband likes to write the value, using a Sharpie pen, across the front. If the card is subsequently used he crosses out the old value and writes the new one.

In my drawer I have a few giftcards for restaurants, this is like a double treat, as each will become the basis for a future date....without paying the dinner bill! Coffee cards tend to stay in my wallet, but due to lack of space I simply cannot tote my entire giftcard collection.

My hope is that we would all enjoy using the many gifts we have been given, instead of giving the companies who issued these cards a windfall. Take time to locate, assess, and then determine how you might spend them in the near future. I was recently able to enjoy a manicure, which is something that is not in the current budget but was a fun treat thanks to a birthday gift card. This weekend my husband and I will be enjoying both dinner and a movie courtesy of our giftcards. And last week I went to Home Depot and bought new door mats, something I had been meaning to do and when I realized that I had a giftcard to support the purchase it was the perfect time! So start digging for your very own "Free Money". Looking forward to hearing what you might have unearthed.

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to Work I Go

I returned to my part-time job at the beginning of the year and as a result, I can see that my blogging time has taken a hit. Given the economic challenges in the U.S. and all of the changes to corporations even since I went on maternity leave in October, I am just plain thankful to even have a job right now. Working outside of the home is not everyone's first choice but for those of us who do work, now is the time to buckle down.

My thoughts for today are for those of us struggling with financial pressure of any kind; perhaps it is a growing mountain of debt, a spouse who has lost a job, or perhaps your own job loss, or loss of hours or wage of any kind, or simply that income doesn't cover the necessary expenses. While I was on leave I began to stress about a small loan we had recently taken and how impossible it seemed to repay. After stressing for weeks I realized that I had the capacity to work more than 20 hours/week, if I could do so when my husband was home so I wouldn't need to pay for childcare. I began to think about some options for evening retail or grocery work, I didn't need to earn a ton but I needed the flexible hours. Then one Sunday at church I noticed that the Hospitality dept needed somebody to help serve dinner to families attending the evening services. Bingo! I contacted the director and was hired on the spot. Now this job isn't glamorous and it is hard work for 6 hours straight, and yet I am thrilled to have figured out a solution that a) generates additional income, b) allows me to do so without needing outside childcare and c) alleviates most of my concern about the loan as I am on track to repaying it in a timely manner.

My challenge for you is to think creatively if you are in a situation where a little extra income would make a big difference in your family. Sometimes the obvious idea, "earn more money" seems to escape us, and quite possibly the solutions may just be under our noses. (Recently I also added a bi-weekly babysitting gig for a friend.) This is not the time in the economy to put pride before your financial security, you may well need to take a job that you consider beneath your ability/skill set....and then be thankful for it. Please share your creative work and/or revenue-generating ideas with all of us, we need to help each other here!