A couple of weeks ago, I gave away a Mohu Leaf antenna for receiving over the air signals. Today’s my birthday, and I must be a crazy because I’m the one giving out the gifts. Instead of an antenna that you may or may not use, I’m giving away something that’s almost as good as cash – Visa or MasterCard gift cards. And I’m not giving away one of them, but three! I shouldn’t take complete credit for the giveaway – this offer comes from GiftCards.com.
Buy Discount Gift Cards
For the average consumer, the biggest reason to go GiftCards.com is to pick up discount gift cards. As I look now, there are gift cards to save 10% from Applebee’s and Barnes and Noble – even 15% from Ann Taylor. There are nearly 100 merchants available at this moment, but availability of specific merchants change often. Many people would sign up for a credit card that would give them 3% cash back on things that they’d ordinary buy. It only makes sense to take a minute and look to see if you can save 10%.
Design Your Own Gift Cards
Part of the great value that a gift card represents is that they are a little like cash. You give the recipient more flexibility to buy something that they want, while still giving something a little more personalized than a couple of Andrew Jacksons. Perhaps a better compromise would be to give GiftCards.com’s personalized gift cards. These are Visa and MasterCards with your own photos and messages. You can use a pre-designed template or create your own. This gives you a more personalized, yet more flexible gift.
How to Win the Gift Cards
Today is all about giving. So I think the giveaway should be based on giving as well. (That sentence may only make sense in my head.) In the wake of natural disasters such as Katrina, Haiti, New Zealand, and the most recent Japan earthquake, I’m realizing more and more how much others need. To help with that, I’m refocusing my efforts on Setting up an Emergency Charity Fund. Let me know in the comments what you are doing to give back. The better I judge your comment, the more virtual ping pong balls you receive for the drawing. I’ll stop taking entries on Saturday April 2nd at 11:59PM and announce the winners soon after. As always please include a real address so that I can tell you that you’ve won and get your address for the gift card. (Your email address is safe, I hate spam as much as you do.)
wow I get to comment first! I think that it is great what you are doing with a focus on giving back. I think that in times where people are struggling financially we can become too focused on ourselves and not helping others.
To give back I have been sponsoring two kids in poor countries, one through World Vision and one through Compassion. It allows for them to have enough to eat, have more resources, better health, and ensures that they go to school. My wife and I also donated to World Vision to help out with dealing with the aftermath of the tsunami. We sponsor friends that work overseas with the poor as well. We try and save the little that we do have to try and give it to those in need directly around us.
wow. my comment disappeared! okay here we go again. about three years ago i became involved in the PGA-Cycle to the Shore MS150, a 180 mile bicycle ride to raise money for MS research, supplies and care. i have raised over $2,500 to date. i do this despite the fact that i am currently paying the utilities on my apartment AND the home i still own with my ex [it is in foreclosure and he is already in bankruptcy] and a few paychecks away from homelessness myself-3 years of unemployment will do that to a woman. about the only thing i have left that is fully functional is my body and i am going to do something good with while i can.
Very nice post LM, organizing your tribe (us) to help is a great!!!
I don’t know if what I am doing qualifies for giving back, I consider it my obligation as Mexican. I don’t know if you are familiar with the drug cartels’ war taking place in Mexico (specially Ciudad Juarez), it is a pretty bad event, I am lucky to be employed by an American Software company in the other side of the border in El Paso, TX. Been a blood donor on my family for several years, I decided that my obligation in this war was to donate blood as many times as possible to provide resources to save a life or give a chance to fellow human being. I feel great every time I am in Mexico donating.
Coming back to the Giftcard.com topic, it is amazing the discounts you can get by buying a gift card thru them :)
Thanks LM,
Jaime
I always try to pay it forward and what comes around goes around, so good things come back to me. Living in Southern California, we have many homeless. I pay cash for most things and put the change left over in a baggy in my center console of car. When I see a homeless person, someone who has run out of gas, or it looks like a family in need, I give them my baggy full of change.
it is said that charity begins at home. i am a senior of limited means. i live in a senior mobile home park and some of the residents in the park no longer drive due to age or eyesight problems. i volunteer to take them to the senior center for lunch, to the doctor, to the library, to the store and other places. i also help some of my neighbors with household tasks that they can no longer do. i enjoy helping others and i know my neighbors appreciate it; that is my way of giving back.
Happy belated birthday!
Wasn’t going to comment on this part, but what the hey.
Since most of my DI is spoken for and I can’t do as much as I’d like, I look for opportunities to give where the impact will be greatest. Money goes furthest for people who are struggling because of the economy, animals without homes or being treated for injuries in shelters and rescues. And money’s not always the thing that helps. Rewriting resumes seems to be what I do the most these days.
Every month I try to give some money to my local church’s fund for helping the poor in our area. I let our church leader decide what to do with it. There are so many poor and down in luck folks right now. I am just so grateful for a roof over my head and food on the table and a family to share it with. What more could I want, really? Happy Birthday, and thanks for hosting this giveaway. It was really fun and heartwarming to see what others do for those in need. It certainly gives me more ideas!
Providing gifts or anything to others is noble deeds. Especially for countries that still have a lot of poor people. What you informed through this article is very good. Many types of gifts or favors that we can do so can be more useful for other people, people we love. Thank you.
It starts with the man in the mirror. Thank you!