Perhaps you’re the recipient of a regifted or random gift card to a store where you don’t shop. This could be a good time to buy a gift for a friend or family member and hang onto it until the next special occasion.
You may not find gear for your next hobby at Bass Pro Shops — especially if you don’t fish — but you might find a Christmas gift for your brother-in-law. Or, if you’re a non-coffee drinker with a Starbucks gift card on your hands, buy a round of lattes for your next work meeting.
“It’s best to use gift cards promptly,” Rossman says.
The sooner you spend gift card money, the less likely you are to forget about it. You can also sell gift cards.