268 - Gift Card Hacks - Preserve Family Memories - Busch Gardens Tampa's Christmas Town

Hi!  I’m Josh Elledge, the Chief Executive Angel of SavingsAngel.com and welcome to the SavingsAngel show! I’m podcasting to you from a windy and chilly Orlando, Florida. I am an extremely busy consumer expert, money-saving advocate, syndicated newspaper columnist, and the guy that turns digital entrepreneurs into media celebrities with UpMyInfluence.com. I love what I do and can’t wait to get going on today’s episode. In order to help you save more, earn more and live more abundantly on today’s show I’ll be covering: How to Maximize Spending Your Gift Cards Preserve Your Memories with Storyworth Holiday Fun at Busch Gardens Stay Safe with Online Deals   - - - - - - — How to Maximize Spending Your Gift Cards With the holidays right around the corner, we all know that we’ll be giving or receiving gift cards this winter. It’s one of my go-to gifts for casual friends or relatives who might be difficult to shop for. I’m always excited when I get a gift card myself because that means I get to stretch every dollar and find ways to enhance my savings. Here are 6 tips on maximizing your gift card spending.     1.) Save them up! You never know when a gift card can be your saving grace in a tight spot. Money you don’t spend out of pocket goes back to bills and other important expenses and we don’t always have a lot of extra cash lying around to begin with. Save the gift cards (like Visa or Amazon gift cards) that could help you replace something important later down the line when you really need it, but don’t wanna burn a hole through your wallet!      2.) Look for deals on the items you are looking to get with your gift card. Make sure you take the time to look through weekly ads and seasonal deals in order to get the most bang for your buck. For instance, this week in the Target ad, you can save up to 50% off on kid's toys and books. Have a Target gift card you’ve had for a while? Save on holiday gifts for the kids by shopping now, or even on Black Friday, to get those toys for a fraction of the normal cost. Want to use your gift card to shop online? Use websites like Groupon or Honey to search for coupons and promotions to get the hottest deals on your favorite items.    3.) Look for promotions that give you gift cards. Some stores (like Target) will give you 5, 10, or even 15 dollar gift cards if you spend a certain amount of cash on certain items. For instance, the current Target gift card promotion offers a 15 dollar gift card if you spend 75 dollars or more on diapers using same-day order services. This is a great way for parents to get money back for what they already spend, and it’s 15 dollars you don’t have to spend on your next shopping trip!   4.) Make sure you understand the terms and conditions! Always read the fine print and figure out if your card needs to be activated before use, if there are any limitations,