'Tis the season...to save money using gift cards

Gift cards. Love 'em? Or hate 'em? I have mixed feelings. They sure do make gift giving easy. I mean, you don't really have to think about it. Just find a store you think the recipient would be able to find something they like, and purchase a gift card. That way you're sure it's always the right size or color. And it's something they really like. But are they really worth it?

Once upon a time, gift certificates were all the rage. You could get them for all your favorite stores. You could even make your own. You didn't even really have to be all that creative. But that was part of the problem. They were easy to counterfeit. So back in 1994 Blockbuster Entertainment created the gift card. Blockbuster? Yep. They were followed by Neiman Marcus. Now, you can get them for just about anything from grocery stores, restaurants and retail. But buyer beware.

Cards like Visa and American Express charge extra fees such as a purchase fee and/or maintenance/inactivity fee. That's what I'd get hit with because in the past I have received gift cards, placed them in a drawer or even my purse, and that's where they have lived out the rest of their lives. So it might be better to stick with store branded cards. My oldest son looks forward to his Cabela's card. My youngest son thinks they're too much of a hassle and prefers an actual gift.

There are deals to be had when purchasing cards. Keep an eye out on sites like Groupon that sometimes offer a $10 Starbucks gift card for $5. Then there are sites like www.giftcardgranny.com that not only buys your unused gift cards, they also sell them for a discount. You can get a $200 BestBuy gift card for $180 with free shipping. 

I have found a really great way to save money using Fry's gift cards. Starting November 19, 2014, Fry's will once again be offering 4X fuel points when you purchase gift cards from them. Now, most people know that Fry's offers fuel points. For each $1 you spend there you are rewarded 1 fuel point when you use your V.I.P. card. So after the 19th, for every $1 spent you will earn 4 fuel points. And that will save you a lot of money when you fill up your gas tank. 

I plan on purchasing a few gift cards for my friends and family. But I also purchase the store brand card and then use them to do my weekly grocery shopping. Using the cards also helps me stay within my budget. 

Happy shopping!

Where are we Wednesday

I needed a vacation. Desperately. I had been talking to my cousin, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years, and we decided it was time for a reunion. Unfortunately, I wasn't really up for a long trip. And 1,200 miles separates us. So we thought it would be a good idea to meet up at our old stomping grounds. Back to the place we grew up. The place where so many of our memories were made. So I packed up my car and headed to Cracker Barrel. Did you know you can rent books on disc at Cracker Barrel? And you can return them to ANY Cracker Barrel. Sure did make time pass quicker. Then I hit the road.

Within a few hours I was back in familiar surroundings. Passing the hill on the side of the highway that, when I was young, people would try to make it to the top on their ATVs. Up ahead were "orchards" of windmills.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about these things. They're huge and noisy. Maybe they're worth it. About this time I needed a break and thought I should top off my gas tank, even though I could have made it all the way on one tank of gas. Upon getting off the highway, I saw this...

Share the sidewalk? With golf carts? The picture doesn't show it, but just out of shot there is a pole with a sign on it in the middle of the sidewalk. Those must be very narrow golf carts.

I grabbed a late lunch and zoomed off. 

Finally, I was close to my destination. Finally, things were starting to look familiar. Finally, I saw the sign that said I was home...

Ahhhhh...there it was...Huntington Beach...

I got my cousin and I a couple of rooms at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about this place. They were so accommodating. So very nice and friendly. It's right across from the beach and we had rooms with balconies. We slept with the balcony doors open and fell asleep to the sound of waves crashing every night. At night we could see the flicker of the flames in the fire pits and reminisced about the parties we went to on the beach, standing around those fire pits. 

The rooms here are very nice and comfortable. Can you see us up there on the 10th floor? Of course not! I'm in the car taking the picture! I loved waking up in the morning and looking out at the surf. And of course, surfers.

And then there is the changing out of the wet suit ritual...

Sorry, we have to keep this family friendly. The weather of course is awesome. There has hardly been any wind. And it's in the 70's. 

We decided to walk down to the pier. I did not recognize most of "downtown". Main Street. It used to be full of small local surf shops and mom and pop eateries. And now, it's full of condos and big surf shops and chain restaurants. But I don't care. It's the beach. That's all that matters.

Walking along the pier, we were enjoying the local wildlife. Like the pelican. And the "ducks".

Ruby's Diner is at the end of the pier. If you've never eaten there, I highly recommend it. The fish tacos are HUGE! And very tasty. 

After wandering around and visiting the International Surf Museum, we moseyed back to the hotel and had dinner at their restaurant, Shades. The weather, being still fabulous, allowed us to dine out on the patio. 

I haven't been this relaxed and at peace for a long time. Y'all are gonna be lucky if I come home. This is my home. This is where my heart is. And being able to spend this time with my cousin has been amazing.