A Gift Card Christmas!

This year I've decided to take the easy way out by choosing to give the plastic card no wrap option.  It's partial because things are a bit more financially tight this year and partially that I'm having a hard time deciding what to give some people on my list. 

For the last 7 years I've been giving out my Christmas booklets.  These booklets have had photos of my artwork combined with my poetry and recipes ( favorites that I've created or passed down from Mom, etc.).  The booklets have become too much for me both time wise and financially.  Lat year, I ended up making 100 + of them.  I had a great deal of people that just LOVED them but I just can't continue it.  It's getting to be TOO MUCH. 

So, this year I've had to budget myself and I decided not to put them in the budget.  Sorry Mom!  My list of retail locations this year are Walmart, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Barnes & Noble, Target, Paradise Bakery, Wendy's, and McDonald's.
 
Here's 6 reasons I'm REALLY liking the gift card giving.....

1. No Wrapping paper involved.  No messing with scotch tape and the scissors to try to make the present look presentable.  I would highly recommend this for all of you that are all thumbs.

2. Time Saving!  You can go straight to the shortest line and the store and while waiting in line choose which plastic decorative card you want.  Most stores put them right up by the cashier.  Bonus!  No time spent wrapping presents, or picking up gift bags that are the right size.

3. Pawning off the decision making.  This is probably bad of me, but that way you are leaving the responsibility of the decision on to the giftee.  You can't choose the wrong size, color, or what not.  It's all on them.  I don't know how many times in the past I've gotten what I thought was the perfect gift and the giftee returned it.  It rather hurt my feelings.  (I guess I could add another reason in that it's emotionally more safe to do gift card too.)

4. A Guaranteed Perfect Gift.  By pasting the decision on, outside of making sure it's the favorite store of the person you JUST can't go wrong.  It's a given, and how many times in life does that happen?

5. It's easy to ship!  Put it in an envelope with their Christmas card and voila!  It's done!

6. It's easy to plan you budget.  Figure your total budget for Christmas and divide it among your Christmas list.  Put your prioritize at the top of the list and work your way down.  Increment it out by $5 rounding until you've budget has run out. 

Sorry if you've been down graded to a $5 gift card from McDonald's... please don't take offense, and do not think that it the valuation that I put on our relationship.  You just may have been at the near the bottom of my list? ;-)