Can You Give a Gift Card to Yourself? Here’s What You Need to Know
Gift cards have become quite the increasingly popular gift for year-round commemorations. Summer is home to buckets of ice cream and the fun-filled screams of amusement park joy; winter carries with it the promise of splurging on presents for those you cherish during the holidays; even autumn marks the need for cozy items to snuggle up to in preparation for the chilly nights to come. There isn’t one season out of the entire year where a gift card wouldn’t be appreciated by anyone you know, which is why gift cards make for such wonderfully adaptable gifts.
With this fact in the back of your mind as reassurance, you never have to feel that dreadful well of anxiety comfortably bubble up in your chest again. Breathe a sigh of relief and bid farewell to that distasteful air of gift-related stress. It’s a great feeling, but now that the worrisome thoughts have cleared from your mind and you’ve solidified your status as someone whose presents never disappoint, your attention may drift to other gift card questions like: Can you buy a gift card and use it for yourself?
It’s a rather odd pondering, but it does have some merit and is not unreasonable by any means. Quite frankly, the answer is a simple yes. There is nothing stopping you from seeking out a gift card for a particular retailer, loading that card with a specific amount of funds, and then using that card while making your shopping rounds. So yeah, it’s completely possible to give a gift card to yourself, and no one will be able to judge you for it since they won’t know you were the one who bought it.
Now that all sounds well and good, but here’s another question: Why would you buy a gift card for yourself when you could just spend money the old-fashioned way?
An easy answer to that is simple – for lots of reasons. From saving money on gift card deals from different retailers to helping you maintain a reasonable budget, there’s a lot of hidden potential inside the world of gift cards.
Take Advantage of Deals with Self-Buying
Every year, typically around the start of the holiday season, many retailers entice potential shoppers with buzzwords like savings and discounts paired alongside purchases of gift cards. For example, a restaurant company may offer a limited-time promotion where you can spend a minimum amount on a gift card and then receive a certain amount as a bonus, meaning extra free money.
Companies do this with the impression that you, the buyer, are making this purchase for someone else, which allows them to receive the money up front and not worry about an imminent return. After all, there are apparently billions of dollars left over from unused gift cards every single year on account of people losing or forgetting about their gift cards.
However, if you’re planning on taking part in the festivities by buying yourself a few gift cards to use at a later date, then you will technically end up saving a decent chunk of money. It’s best to pick out gift cards for places you would go to regardless, such as an Italian restaurant for date night or at a local coffee chain.
As you can imagine, it won’t take long to earn well-beyond your money’s worth by taking advantage of limited-time gift card offers from companies you personally enjoy. Even though you are paying more upfront when making the initial gift card purchases, the free money you will earn in the long run is definitely worth it as long as you keep everything within a reasonable budget.
Click here to buy a Dunkin’ gift card
Keep Your Online Transactions Secure
While a significant portion of individuals participate in regular online shopping, there remains a sizable percentage of mostly older folks who aren’t too fond of having their private information uploaded onto the web, even with many popular online retailers doing all in their power to keep personal data secure. But truth be told, not even the most secure databases are without risk of being accessed by hackers and other tech savants.
Suddenly it doesn’t seem so strange why your aunt’s face wrinkles in disdain at the thought of uploading her debit card information onto the cloud. Even if the risk is small, it’s still something to keep you on your toes. Luckily for folks who are turned off by the idea of entering personal information on online stores, gift cards offer a secure alternative that doesn’t jeopardize the integrity of your bank account.
Gift cards aren’t connected to anything since they come with a predesignated amount of money on them. When you use a gift card, you are pulling from the available funds on the card until its value is depleted. The numbers on a gift card aren’t in any way like the important digits engraved onto your credit card, which has the potential to cause you a lot of unwanted grief should your information be stolen.
You never have to worry about being the victim of a data breach when all you use for online purchases are gift cards. They are a truly great safety net to have at your disposal when you don’t want to give out private information.
Embrace the Cashless Lifestyle
Many of us are already ahead of the game on this one, but there’s no doubt cash remains a very popular form of commerce among folks accustomed to a certain way of life. And sure, having spare cash on you can be convenient for quick tips and little purchases you don’t feel like putting on your credit card. There’s also quite a lot of negative factors and risks associated with carrying cash on you, which certainly serves to motivate many to choose an alternative method of payment.
Click here to buy an Apple gift card
From the risk of having your money stolen or losing track of it to the clunky, uncomfortable bulge of pocket change that rubs against your leg with every stride you take, cash carries many undesirable caveats that deter many people from it. If you’re someone who likes to employ a minimalist approach to life, one of the best actions you can take is to kiss your cash goodbye and opt for the sleek simplicity of plastic (or digital) cards.
Credit and debit cards seem to be the go-to when it comes to paying without cash, but most folks probably have a stray gift card or two leftover from the holidays hiding in the back of their wallet, practically begging to be used. Gift cards are easy to organize and don’t get all mixed up like loose cash, and slipping them back into your wallet after a transaction is much easier than handling tedious bills and coins.
If you’re considering trying out going cashless with the assistance of gift cards, make sure you choose gift cards for retailers you’re already planning on shopping at so that you aren’t forcing yourself to buy from a company you dislike. Gift cards for groceries, gas, clothes, and department stores you frequently visit are all great ideas to get you started on utilizing gift cards in everyday transactions.
Give Yourself an Emotional Boost
This benefit is more psychological than material, but that doesn’t negate its importance. Buying gift cards explicitly for yourself is a great way to spark your dopamine levels and feel good about life.
Self-gifting may appear to be an oddly conceited thing at first glance, yet there has been a rise in the phenomenon over the last few years. This can be attributed to a wide range of factors in this rapidly changing climate, including the fact that folks are beginning to prioritize their own well-being over other responsibilities. A gift card can be just the thing to perk you up after a long week of running errands and pulling late shifts.
Consider rewarding yourself with a gift card upon completion of a specific goal. A promise like this helps keep you motivated and makes you eager to see your task to the end as you anticipate the reward waiting for you once you are finished.
Some folks may find the notion to be unnecessary and obsolete, but sometimes the thought of a reward for completing hard work is the only thing that can motivate you to get through a task. Whatever helps you get through your daily life is certainly worth it in the end.
Click here to buy a Walmart gift card
Earn Cash Back on All Your Gift Card Purchases at Gift Card Granny
If you’re tempted to do some gift card shopping for yourself, make sure you are taking advantage of the best deals out there. Certain times of year may come with different benefits for gift card buying, but it’s hard to sit around and wait for a specific duration of time when you want to feel the exhilaration of buying gift cards ASAP. Discount retailers like Gift Card Granny exist for this very reason – to connect potential buyers like yourself to an array of practical gift card options that can be purchased at any time.
Gift Card Granny has a vast gift card selection provided by hundreds of different retailers and brands from all across the nation and even beyond, from the local hot spot in your suburban town to a national chain with thousands of locations in the country. Each individual gift card comes with a set amount of cash back buyers can earn upon purchase. Amounts typically range from 1% to 5% and your total discounts will be activated during the final stage of the transaction, which gives buyers immediate financial relief.
Gift cards from Gift Card Granny also have the option to be given digitally or mailed to your gift recipient. Even if you are only buying a gift card for yourself, there’s no shame in selecting a physical gift card simply so you can indulge in the blissful feeling of excitedly waiting for your gift to arrive at your doorstep. Heck, you can even customize certain gift cards and really give them some personality if you wish. It may seem pointless if the gift is just going to yourself, but it’s the little things that spark joy in life and you deserve to take pleasure in these.
Browse tons of spectacular gift card options at Gift Card Granny and start giving yourself ideas for what gift card would be the perfect reward for you. It can be a gift card to one of your most favorite restaurants, to a chain of department stores you typically frequent, to new fashionable clothing and accessories, and a whole lot more.
There’s basically no limit as to what you can purchase with the magic of gift cards, so remember to give Gift Card Granny a visit and turn your life around with a little help from gift cards. Even if you don’t feel like buying gift cards for yourself will be a recurring thing, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try!