Gift card traps (and how to avoid them) | Personal Finance

Home > Learn > Articles > Personal Finance

Personal Finance | Articles

Gift card traps
(and how to avoid them)

What’s better than shopping on someone else’s dime? Avoiding costly fees

Jan 9, 2012

Chances are good you received a gift card or two during the holidays this year; according to Statistics Canada, Canadians spend about $6 billion on gift cards each year. But if that free spending has you itching to get to the shops, sit tight for a moment. A gift card is not quite like cash. If you want to get the most out of your gift cards, you need to be aware of the most common gift card traps. You can’t avoid them all, but there are things you can do to get the most out of that free shopping money...

→

1 of 7

Additional Articles

How much is that doggy in the window?

The rising price of pet ownership

Personal Finance, Money Media

Before fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Adams and soccer superstar David Beckham welcomed their fourth child and first daughter Harper Seven into the world, they made another addition to their family: a French bulldog puppy named Scarlet. Posh and Becks already have another bulldog named Coco, bringing their brood count to three boys, one girl and two puppies. Team Beckhams’ first dog was purchased from a Los Angeles breeder for $2,000. Add to that the cost of organic dog food, grooming, veterinary care, travel, staff and er, wardrobe (this is Posh Spice’s puppy, remember) and there’s a good chance that the cost of their dogs could begin to rival the cost of their new daughter. read more »

Single mom, secure future

Family, Insurance, Personal Finance

Hey single moms, your superhuman skills are showing! You may not realize this, but you sure do impress. Childless single gals marvel at how you manage to get yourself and your child out the door every morning — faster than a speeding bullet (and look good doing it). Couples see how you juggle even the most complicated soccer/piano/ballet/swimming schedule with the stroke of a single highlighter. And while you’re taking everything one day at a time, we also know that you’re thinking of the future and how to protect it — just like any superhuman would. read more »