Undoubtedly this holiday season, you either received or gave gift cards in lieu of purchasing or receiving an actual product. Gift cards are all the rage these days and their growth is predicted to continue to increase.
Ellen Cannon an Editor at Bankrate.com says in her article Gift Card Trends: Gift Cards Are Everywhere that

"Gift cards are booming -- on the buyer and seller sides of the market. According to Comdata, in the 2007 holiday season, the average gift card buyer will spend $203 on cards, a $23 increase from 2006. And the National Retail Federation's 2007 Holiday Consumer Survey found that 54 percent of consumers said they want to receive a gift card as a holiday gift."

That's good news for the retailers who are hoping that Post- Christmas shopping will save the season.USA Today reports,

"Retailers are rolling out after-Christmas discounts, hoping bargain shoppers and gift-card splurgers can help salvage the season."

But what do you do with gift cards that you just don't think you will use? I for one have a drawer full of gift cards that I never seem to have with me when I want to purchase something? Then to my horror one day, I actually took one with me and found out that the $100.00 card (from 2 years ago) had penalties for each month that it was not used and was now reduced to about a $35.00 actual cash value!  since then I tend to give cash rather than cards on most occasions or buy the ones that I am sure have no expiration or penalties.

But back to what to do when you don't shop at the stores from which the gift card was issues? Well today I checked out some sites that offer solutions to that problem. I had no idea that there were websites that   allow you to manage gift card balances and to swap gift cards with other consumers. What a great idea. Swap A Gift is one such site that for just a one time fee of $1.99, you can list your gift card for swap or sale. Plastic Jungle offers a secure place to buy gift cards at reduced prices as well as sell or trade. And finally, Leverge Card another site that allows you to

• Purchase gift cards from top retailers

• Earn interest on gift cards you register with Leverage 

• Swap gift cards for free 

• Manage gift card balances, frequent flyer miles and loyalty programs from one computer screen with no downloads needed 

• Receive targeted offers and savings from retailers based on gift cards you have, as well as your loyalty program and calendar info.

Hallelujah! No more unused cards that sit in my drawer and collect dust. If anyone has used a card swap company before, share your experience here with your fellow Shak-ers.

Yesterday I wrote about my internal debate regarding purchasing Christmas presents online versus shopping in a store. I was thrilled to hear so many responses and different opinions from our readers. It seems as if we have a split of faithful online shoppers and true to the mall shoppers.

I went back to my online shopping cart that had caused me distress due to the $60 shipping cost. This was on Amazon.com. I figured I would compare the prices of the items with Toys R Us because there is a store near me that I could go to in person. I wanted to make sure they had the toys that I wanted.

I compared the price of the first toy and found that Amazon sold it for $20 LESS than Toys R Us. Okay, that just made the $60 shipping charge less intimidating. I compared the next item and once again, found that Amazon sold it for $20 LESS! I did this a third time and found the exact same result. All of a sudden I realized that if I went in person to Toys R Us, that I would not be saving any money because their toys were significantly more expensive.

I tallied up how much everything would cost if I bought it online at Amazon compared to going to Toys R Us. The result was that I would actually be saving  money by shopping online at Amazon even with shipping charges.

I quickly placed my online order with Amazon. I was quite pleased with my investigative work and happy to know that I don't have to go out to the crazy stores!

We are thrilled with the response to our Giveaway. And while not everyone can win the contest, everyone can still be a winner at Chittypulga.

From now until July 11th you can save up to 50% off Chittypulga's fashion accessories, clothing and unique line of toys. Did you notice the extra 10% off you can get with coupon code JULY 407? That's 60% off.

Since I can't enter my own contest, I'm heading over there right now!

I know you love Zutano! You all proved that with our last giveaway and now that the temperature's are rising fast, there's no better time to announce the Zutano annual HOT SUMMER

SALE

Fathers' Day is right around the corner, but you can find a great gift and a great deal right now on Wrapables.com. The site is offering Shak readers a 10% discount with coupon code SHAKADOO. But that's not all, Wrapables has a great Dads' Day cheat-sheet to help you find great gifts (no ties) for that hard-to-buy-for dad in your life, whether he's into grilling, golf, or just a good glass of wine.

Sarah, at Shakinstyle loves the Silver Rabbit Wine Tool Kit from Wrapables and says, "I haven't corked a bottle in ages."

My favorite is the personalized "Coach" Plate. Perfect for the dad that coaches little league, soccer, football, and just about everything. Just add your "coach's" name and you can have the whole team sign it. Or you can just have the whole family sign it!