You fought the traffic jams and now find yourself amongst the many people shopping for the perfect Christmas gift! Ever wonder what happens to those perfect gifts once you go through all the trouble of finding them?

Here lies my biggest fears when it comes to gift shopping:

• While perfect for me, not so perfect for him/her.
• The gift will remain unopened and unused.
• Attic here is another perfect gift to store.
• eBay is the perfect place for my perfect gift.
• Re-gifting ideas-R-us gets another visitor.

I bet you get my drift here. I always am so cynical when shopping for gifts. I look in my crystal ball and see the perfect gift’s destiny. It is never a pretty sight!

I have often wondered how to solve this problem. Do I:

• Find a gift givers anonymous group and start the 12 step program.
• Stop shopping for gifts all together.
• Keep doing the same shopping over and over again, but expect different results.
• Look for alternatives to help relieve the stress of finding the perfect gift.
• Switch to an online solution.

I am sure that the answer to my dilemma does not lie in the first three thoughts I had. Although the Gift Givers Anon. group does sound interesting. Oh and if I completely stop buying gifts it would save me a ton of cash!

I do fall into that third category! I have repeatedly bought gifts for people and expected different results. I think they call that insanity! Oh, insanity is exactly my destination if I continue my current gift giving path.

There has to be a way! I began to search out the alternatives. Here’s a few ideas.

Give Cash.

Not the most memorable way to go. Doesn’t require any effort on my end. Just dish out the green and hope for the best. I have done this, but I don’t recommend it.

Brand Name Gift Cards

Now this idea has me thinking. There are all types of gift cards out there:

• Restaurants
• Airlines
• Department stores
• iTunes
• Amazon
• And so many more!

The news about companies making huge profits from unused gift cards is mind boggling. Many gift cards have expiration dates, after which the card is worthless! I suppose you have just donated to the bottom line of that company!

There are also hidden fees to watch out for. Some of these can be outrageous!

I know there are gift card programs out there that have no expiration dates and no fees. The trick is knowing how to find out about them!