I was spoiled this year! 3 gift cards - 50.00 at Carrabas, 25.00 at Cheddar's, and then sm
Posted By: Mom on 2007-12-26
In Reply to: How many of you received gift cards....sm - Poll lady
3 cards to Wal Mart totalling 100.00 from mom for kids to get stuff. The other gift card (or gift cert.)is that the same thing? was for 200.00 to local spa. I guess I was good this year! LOL OH! How could I forget? My hubby bought me a gift cert. for a hair cut and style at a very expensive place AND made the appointment!!!! which is for tomorrow at 2!
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I just get them gift cards. Last year got Mastercard - sm
gift cards so they could go wherever they wanted to. I have no clue what to get them so this works well, and I have been doing it for about 10 years now. Easy for me and they are happy not to get some piece of junk (of which they give me everything they don't want). In addition they get some artwork from the kids, magnets, etc. with their artwork, sometimes we get a portrait take of the kids and give them a nice framed photograph too.
How about a spoiled rotten 40-year-old
Amazon Parrot? She is so beautiful and knows it! She has a bright yellow head and talks to the dogs, and all the dogs we have had prior to this one. About 3 years ago I bought her one of those parrots that will talk back and flap its wings and repeats everything you say. She loves BIRDIE so much that I tried to pick it up (have to admit was teasing her with it and kissing it) and she got so jealous she bit my leather jacket and made a hole in it! So much for the jacket, but I love my Morry. We thought she was a boy so we named her Morris, then we were told she was a female. . . I switched her name to Morrisa, i.e. Morry. Wish you could meet her. She is just darling and spoiled and rotten and . . . . . . . .
gift cards
Gift cards are hard to redeem, especially if they have to spend a long time trying to find something they like at the store for 5, 10 or 15 which they usually cannot and end up spending my money to cover the overage.
I think cash is much better!
Gift cards!!!!!!
x
I always love gift cards :-) so I can buy what I want (sm)
at the exchanges I've been to those are always favorites. Like a box of popcorn with a Blockbuster card, a Bath and Body Works card (my favorite!), Target, etc.
How many of you received gift cards....sm
and if you got them, were they to places you like to shop? (As for me, I got 4 of them, 1 of which is a Visa debit card that I REALLY love since it can be used anywhere!).
Gift Cards or Money...sm
I gave up trying to please everyone with personal gifts. They were never good enough or what the person wanted. so now I give either cash or gift cards. Even with the gift cards, however, I received complaints. They did not like where the gift cards were from, etc so now I basically just give money. That way they spend it on what they want. You can't really get many complaints from just money and they cannot return it. good luck to you.
My stepdaughters used to get gift cards...
they are now 21 and 24; since they never sent thank you notes or even bothered to send a Christmas card, they will no longer get the gift cards, just a Christmas card this year. They will probably feel slighted, but I don't care; if you can't take the time to at least call your dad and wish him a Merry Christmas, you don't deserve anything!
When in doubt VISA gift cards
They spend like cash. You can even spend them online.
You can get Visa, MC gift cards at banks. Then no
x
my hubby always likes Best Buy gift cards,
that way he can get what music he wants, or concert DVDs, or whatever they have there (that's what everyone got him for Christmas and he was in "hog heaven").
I see the posts about the gift cards for supplies for the kids?
I was not aware that teachers use their *own* money for these things? How about something they can enjoy/you know maybe something they can actually enjoy? lol JMO
I'd go with gift cards to restaurants. You can buy them in grocery stores or Walgreens
nm
Don't feel like sending Christmas cards this year
Christmas is next week. Got pix of the family to put in the cards, and tons of Christmas cards from last year's Christmas sales. Every day, I say, I will do these cards. At least to grandma and grandpa on both sides. Every day, I put it off. DH got a roll of stamps and he has the cards sitting on his nightstand with pix, he has not done any either.
Thus far we got several newsletters from people, saying they did this, they did that, they celebrated this birthday, their kid did this and that. We don't plan to do a newsletter this year, b/c it seems to me these newsletters sound so self-centered! They are not even from family members, they are from DH coworkers and such.
My friends send me e-cards pretty much or we chat over the I-net. We send holiday greetings and catch up that way. My son will be getting grandma and grandpa's on both sides presents the end of the week, and I think I will just put the pictures in the packages when I send and forget about the cards.
This is really sad. Years ago, Dec 1 we'd get a bunch of cards and have ours sent out. Different colors of ink on the envelopes, red and green, holiday stamps, it would be so fun. All the cards we'd get my dad or I would put on a board in shape of a tree and we'd put it on the wall.
Now, it seems with snail mail, and so many other worries about cutting budget, finding enough work, I am not in the mood to write cards. Maybe it will become a thing of the past, and the boxes of cards will accumulate dust in the top of the closet.
Anybody else in this predicament? Thanks in advance for sharing your card stories.
My best gift this year
Was from my daughter and she gave me tickets to go see our new baby panda here in Atlanta as soon as she decides she wants to walk. She is a little over 100 days old and they say she should be up and around before too long. Well, one thing for sure- the tickets are good for the next 6 months so the baby has that much time to make up her mind!
I think I am anti-gift giving this year
Money is so tight right now I am no sure how I am going to pay my bills this December. I had some unexpected bills come up that needed to be taken care of. On top of that, I have to come up with X-mas gifts for everyone and they do not like cheap things. Their idea of cheap is hand-made and they do not like it. So that is out. I just got a part-time job but that is not going to kick in a whole lot of money until closer to the end of the year.
I would like to opt out of gift giving this year but if I suggest it I get the lecture from family members of "what do you do with your money?, what are you spending it on? " and other invasive questions. The other unforunate thing is I live in the same town with them.
The most inexpensive thing on my niece's list is a brand new cell phone or a brand new MP3 player with a video screen. She is not careful with these and she has already gone through so many. To top it all off I have 3 birthdays in December.
I really hate this time of year.
Any suggestions on how to tell them to just buy for them and not for me and let me out of this so-called family time?
Sorry to be so bitter.
"Food stamps" now are paid on EBT cards - federal EBT cards which look the
have the option to have their pay on an EBT card as well.
She may well have been using her family's federal EBT card and working for the government for a living.
Or, if she is a foster parent, those children will receive state benefits and she could use an EBT card for food assistance.
Everything is not always what it appears to be. I'm sure you're a nice person, right?! See?! We wouldn't know any better if we believed the appearance you have given here! :)
sharp cheddar cheese, some minced onions, maybe some sour cream
if you like with the white sauce. Also, I use Velveeta cheese, about half the large brick. Don't forget to put salt in the water while cooking the macaroni too.
we add some monterey jack, cream cheese to velveeta and some sharp cheddar...nm
.
Spoiled.
//
SPOILED!
X
I don't think he is spoiled by any means..sm
he just likes natural food. There is nothing wrong with that. If it was my kitty though, and this is not meant to be judgemental so please don't take it that way, I would probably delay the vacation until the kitty was a little older. But that's just me.
spoiled kids maybe
I have a 16 year old, am single mom and she is only child, she hopefully has learned some lessons along the way because I have tried to instill values in her - she comes home talking about the 300-400 Ipods the kids at school have and I think to myself - how are they going to survive in the real world if they get things like this as teenagers - they are not going to have a clue how to manage money, these kids are even buying expensive gifts for each other at school, I feel sorry for them when they get out in the real world and have to start paying for everything themselves, unfortunately the real meaning of Christmas has evidently gone the wayside and most kids think it is just a time to get real cool presents.
Spoiled, yes, I see nothing wrong with that
If others went through the years of abuse, cheating, broken arm, just nightmarish trouble in life, to be spoiled now, hey I will take that. I am pushing 70 and it is about time in my life to be spoiled. (By the way, this happened in my life before this child was born, in case you think she saw this, she didn’t.)
Extreme spoiled brattinitis
so he says, love it
And then some husbands have their wife spoiled
and give them any and every thing their little heart desires and I am one of those lucky ones. By the way, I don’t even have to cook- he does all that. I am spoiled rotten and loving it.
Sadly, though, many ARE that wasteful and spoiled by their luxuries. sm
As MTs, I think we fall into a rather frugal subset of the population, perhaps both because we aren't in the higher income brackets (though, having said that, I'm expecting some s******s to chime in that he/she is making $100K a year and only working part time because her left thumb alone can do 300 lph) and also because, perhaps, we're used to looking at how the little things (like spaces and punctuation and all the minutiae) add up in aggregate.
I have my favorite things on which I splurge, but I can otherwise squeeze a penny with the best of 'em, as I suspect many, if not most, here can, as well.
But, yeah, there are people who hire others to do even their most routine tasks and chores, or who run the A/C in summer with open windows, or drive the Hummer the 1/2 block to the 7-11....
Downloading music/spoiled musicians and athletes
sbMT wrote: "cheating consumers for decades by selling tapes, cds and albums with only 1, maybe 2, good songs on them out of 10-15 songs. Remember back when you'd buy an album, and MOST of the songs on it were good?"
Yeah, actually I do remember the time. You would actually listen to the entire album. Or, if you wanted, just buy the 45.
Now you have to wait for "the best of" to come out in order to get more than a few good songs.
But I do agree that these musicians and sports stars income has gotten out of control.
What athlete truly is worth $12 mil a year? The QBs and WRs are usually paid that salary if they're really good. I loved Randy Moss when he was a Viking, his faults and all but what they paid him is outrageous - plus they just upped the NFL salary cap so the salaries will be even higher. And I truly think that if Moss stays with a QB that is good, he will break all of Jerry Rice's records.
However, I grew up watching quarterbacks like Indian Joe Kapp, playing with one bar across his helmet and taking big time hits from players like Deacon Jones like his famous "head slaps". They didn't baby the QB like they do now. Good grief, if you touch him with your fingertip 0.007 seconds after he releases the ball, it's a 15 yard penalty. Sissies. Go back and watch some football from the 70's. That was real football, not the prima donna crap you see today.
Now I'm sounding like an old fogey but I do miss the good old days of good music and good football. And yes, I still do watch football and root for my beloved Vikings every year but it disappoints me that the game has evolved the way it is and there are so darned many rules that the refs end up deciding at least one game a season with a bad call.
As far as music, heck - would you ever buy a copy of Pink Floyd's The Wall and not listen to every song? Any Zeppelin albums out there that haven't been worn down (entire album) by repeated playing?
OK. I'll get off my soap box now. ;-)
She's a very spoiled little girl, who is going to inherit millions from the Hilton Hotel fortune
and from her father's real estate fortune. She basically jumped into the limelight when her little personal homemade sex video was leaked out. She is described as a "socialite, actress, and singer." She likes to party hard and doesn't want to pay or take any responsibility for her own irresponsible actions, such as driving with a suspended license, DUI, you get the picture.
Bigger issue - a 16 year old living withi a 29 year old and liability
Are you still not responsible for him until he is 18, how can he tell you where he will live? Unless he emancipates himself and he does something wrong, can they go against you since you are his mother and legally responsible for him? I worry more about him living with a 29 year old sister rather than returning a house key to me that is a bigger issue.
My 14-year-old is going to be a mother-in-law (so funny) if you google it and 11-year-old daughter
x
Elf yourself e-cards (sm)
 http://www.elfyourself.com/
This is from OfficeMax - free e-cards that you put your picture and/or family/friends and they dance. It's really cute!
I know there are cards that
are made for something just like this like maybe for a step-mother but don't actucally use those exact words. I know because it was so hard for me to get my "other" mother a card for Mother's day without feeling like I would be hurting my mother, even though she would have no idea. Don't know what this lady's hobbies or favs are, but anytime someone wants to take me out for a nice dinner just makes my day. Actucally hinted to my hubby this afternoon how nice that would be tonight but he said he needs to mow. Well, actucally that is a gift as well cuz he hates to mow and the yard really needs it. LOL!
Also, some people don't like this idea very much, making a donation to a fav. charity in their name to me is a wonderful gift. That is what I have always done for my kid's teachers. I have an aunt who is a teacher, and while she is greatful cuz she really loves kids, but she has talked about some of the "junk" she has gotten. I always made it to the Children's Miracle Network just assuming since they were teachers they would want to do something for children. A couple of times my children got the most wonderful thank-you notes. I absolutely love this idea.
yes, I actually have one of the cards. I have only
used it for dental work so far, though. Payments very affordable with the option to pay off in certain amount of time with no interest.
I always appreciate cards, too.
I try not to hold grudges about them, but it's hard to send one to someone who can't be bothered to send to you, so I know exactly how you feel. I think its extra tough when it's family, even if it is the in-laws. And I absolutely agree with the poster who said that cards are so inadequate in some occasions, but they are better than not sending one at all and I always add a personal message.
Won $2,000 on slot machine on New Year's Eve. What a way to start the year. nm
!
Set my budget a year in advance, save all year and
nm
You really have to stay on top of the cards
I do a lot of card flipping with balance transfers but also calling and trying to negotiate new deals. I just switched one with a balance transfer at 3.9 for the life of balance and then talked them down to a purchase rate of 8.9 (it had been up in the high teens). I also talked a card I've had a while into a 2.9 for the life of a balance transfer instead of the 12 month offer they were having because there was a delay in the electronic transfer to the other company causing me a bit of inconvenience. That transfer was actually for a loan I had at a pretty high interest rate, so some loans can be put on cards too which I never knew. I find websites that list ALL the latest offers for all or most card companies and I'm always checking. Sometimes I call my cards and tell them I am thinking about switching unless they can give me a similar/better rate or deal. Often they will so as not to lose the business. I have saved a ton of money doing this - it is sort of like consolidating on your own. I can post the site if anyone is interested, don't have it handy right now. Oh..I also have automatic electronic payment setup to pay a certain amount each month from my checking so the payment is NEVER late. You are so right about that, that's where they get you! I just thought maybe some of this info may help someone, I hope so. My credit is very good now but had been a mess in the past.
NO more credit cards
I had a credit card with a high balance. I got a second mortage to pay it off. I called the credit card and got the payoff balance and my bank sent a check to them. I kept watching on line to make sure they got it and when they did I noticed that there was a $95 credit. So, I called and said how do I get my money back. They sent me a check and when I got it, I called and closed the account. This was about two weeks ago. Today I get a statement from them with a balance due of $45! Huh??? I called and they keep telling me it is a finance charge. I got pretty steamed and finally ended up saying that I would pay it, but no more. Well, I wrote out the check and put in in the mailbox, but I'm still stewing about this. If I still owed them money, why did they send me a credit?? What is the finance charge on if I had a credit balance? I suppose I will just pay it because they will only keep tacking on even more charges, but it is really bugging me. Has anyone else had any experience with this??
I will say one thing - NO MORE CREDIT CARDS EVER EVER EVER. REALLY. I mean it this time.
How about addressing your own thank you cards!
My husband's side of the family seems to think that it's a wonderful idea to have shower guests address their own thank you cards as they arrive to the party! Well, geeeze! Why not go all the way and write your own thank you note, too! They put the little envelopes in a pretty little basket and pass it around. I don't care how they try to pretty it up, it's still tacky! I refuse to address my own thank you card, and you guessed it! I never receive thank you notes from DH's side of the family!
I hosted a wedding shower for my husband's sister, and my MIL came over with the little basket. We had such a fight, because I refused to do that at one of my parties. ugh!
telephone cards sm
It was on our morning local news that a local mom started collecting phone cards donated by various people for her son and his buddies in Iraq. She said the response has been overwhelming and her son and his buddies couldn't be happier because they love the fact that they can actually talk to someone at home rather than E-mail and snail mail. One woman wrote her a note along with her card, stating that she got to talk to her son every day as he was home, so it made her feel so good to be able to help someone else's son call home. Guess it's all up to them if they want to call, they have to pay, don't know how much it costs to call from there?? Imagine it is not cheap.
I think its credit cards...
The newspaper had an article the day after Christmas how people are defaulting on their credit cards all over the place. This added to the mortgage companies having problems with people unable to pay their balloon payments and the bad housing market, price of gas is sure to lead (the article said) to a recession.
When I was shopping I saw all the people with tons of things in their carts, DVD players, computers, etc. on Christmas eve. This was regular people at Walmart. I saw a lot of credit cards flashed around. Paying minimum payment will cause Christmas to cost tons more and they will be paying beyond the item's life which they purchased.
We went through this. We tried to sell our house, rented to own another and went broke in 3 months. After we had 2 house, fell back on credit cards the interest piled up and it was terrible! We moved back and are on a budget. So, I shopped without credit this year, and you know what? I had more fun. And I have 3 kids. Their things were simpler than the fancy things they got last year. The most expensive things we got were bikes because they are growing and we got those on sale. The rest were creative items. I am not saying that what we did is so great. What I am saying is that peeople are not looking at the big picture these days and if they do not use cash (as we had not in the past), they may not be able to pay their debt if hard times fall. In the meantime, grandpa sent my son 100 bucks, which I let him spend on a train set (I should not have let him do that he is 7) and he cried that his money was all gone and he did not want the train set anymore. I bet if I had him save some of it and had him buy simpler things, well I bet he would not have been crying. At least at age 7 he is learning that money is not easy to come by. And he is learning the hard way because I will not give him more money to replace what he spent. Sorry such a long message. It is just that we did not even afford an XBox, and I wanted a Wii myself, but we avoided all of that because in the end we learned that Christmas is not about credit cards, the junk it buys. I think the end of the cartoon the Grinch where the Who people did not even care about the presents was correct. Maybe we'd be happy with less things and more love. I don't know. This was not meant to be a sermon forgive me. We all have to learn what Christmas means to us and I say let people do what they want, consequences are always result of actions anyway. Just IMO. Happy New Year everyone!
A deck of UNO cards
Can you give hints? g o m d t . c o m
Don't use your debit cards
I had a problem with fraud on my account through them. Surely they have fixed it by now, as this was last year and the year before (yes 2 separate occurrences, both at xmas time). So I would not suggest using any cards there but cash only.
I do agree that it seems to be a great idea for teens. Their prices are great and our location has always been helpful with advise, returns, etc.
Another good idea I have found for teenagers is a gift card for restaurants or gas stations. It helps their parents a bit and if they have a girlfriend/boyfriend places like AppleBees or Red Lobster are nice so that they can go on a nice date and not have to worry about $30 for the bill. Even with a part-time job that's a lot of money for a teenager! :) My nephew actually requests it.
Don't throw out those cards!
Christmas is over, please don't throw away your cards. If you don't already have plans, please consider sending them to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Children there recycle the cards to make cards for next year. They sell these to earn money. They only need the front of the cards - the picture part - and welcome any style (obviously not naughty cards). The address to send cards is: Via UPS or FedEx: Carmelita Mesteth Oyate Teca Project Wakanyeja Okolakiciye Youth Center 1000 Youth Center Drive Kyle, SD 57752 Via US Mail: Carmelita Mesteth Oyate Teca Project P.O. Box 316 Kyle, SD 57752
Free Ebirthday cards?
Anyone know of a good free E birthday card site that is easy and you don't have to sign your life away? Blue mountain now makes you sign up for a trial but wants credit card.
google free e-cards
Hallmark and American Greetings I know for sure have free ones that you don't have to sign up for...just google! Good luck...
Most debit cards can also be used as a charge
card. If you use it as a charge card you do not have to put in a PIN number. What happened to your daughter sounds like someone from Bobs took the actual account number information. I'd confront Bobs mgmt.
Overdraft and Debit Cards
Thank goodness at the bank we use, debit card deductions are the same as checks (I rarely use checks). The overdraft applies to those as well. Luckily I don't use the overdraft often, just glad to know it's there is I need it.
If you are just talking about credit cards sm
If you call your credit card companies, they can set you up with a plan to help. I was in the same boat. Low to no wages and a very large hospital bill, plus household expenses.
I have 5 credit cards. Up until the hospitalization, I paid on time or paid more than the minimum, as I used to use them for work-related items.
Sadly, all were maxed out during the hospitalization and subsequent rehabilitation. Of course in the meantime, during the time I couldn't contact them, my interest rates went from 9% to 21-29%. I didn't know about their programs...a well kept secret. 
I'm still hurting, but now my credit rating isn't being dinged and 1 card is back down to 12%.
BUT, you must agree to pay the amount they set for you faithfully every month. If not, you lose the advantage. When you have a little extra, put it on the bill, even if it's only $1. I have the payments automatically deducted from my checking account. That way, I KNOW they're being made on time as I sometimes don't know one day from the next (if you know what I mean) and if I have extra at the end of the month, I hand write a check to one of them (preferably the highest amount of debt).
Don't need credit counseling. Just work with the companies themselves. It's a pain to make all the calls, but it's worth it. Good luck.
If you are no longer using credit cards......
i've had several credit cards throughout my time and all but four are paid off. i don't plan on using the other credit cards ever. they do show up on my credit report. i would like to cancel the ones i don't use, but i've heard that it looks back on your credit report. anyone else have info about this? i think it's a better idea to cancel the cards you will never use again because of the identity theft going on.
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