Read the full article on Jobs.AOL.com

Lisa Johnson Mandell posted a list of gift ideas for job seekers on AOL and included a couple of my Gift Card Girlfriend suggestions. Do you have a job seeker on your gift list? As Mandell points out, “with about one in 10 Americans unemployed, chances are there is one.”

I feel Vulnerable

Searching for a job always makes me feel vulnerable. But my confidence goes up when I go into an interview sporting a new suit, stylish shoes, an updated haircut, and a professional looking portfolio. The problem is, I worry about spending money on those things when I’m in a financial transition. So my suggestion to Mandell is to give a job seeker gift cards for said personal improvements mixed with a pinch of humor to lift spirits.

Here are some examples:

• Gift card for a clothing store attached to ‘Pay Day’ and ’100,000 Grand’ candy bars.
• Gift card for the salon coupled with a bottle of “Smart Water” and a copy of Business Week magazine to read while waiting.
• Gift card for the office supply store attached to a “lucky comb” (ala Glee) or motivational quotes written on sticky notes that can be hung around the house.

For non-gift card ideas – check out Lisa’s list. It’s a good one.

Jamba Juice is doing it right this holiday season. At participating locations, you can buy a $25 gift card and get a free smoothie. If you’re a Jamba Juice regular, buy the gift card for yourself and start slurping! If you’re going to give a Jamba Juice gift card, then this next offer is even better.

Gift with Purchase

As Kevin B at the San Ramon Jamba Juice explains, for $15, you get a 22 oz. Tumbler and a $5 Jamba Juice gift card. I love ths promotion because it follows my 5 Steps to Better Gift Card Giving. The gift card can be used at a variety of locations, is in a usable amount ($5 is plenty for Jamba Juice), and the recipient gets to “open something.” This would make a great gift for teachers, office staff, and others you want to give a small token to this holiday season.

Add a Personal Scoop

Make it even more personal by putting a list of your favorite smoothies or the “secret Jamba Juice menu” inside the tumbler. Have fun with it.

I don't want to feel like Michael did.

The holidays are just around the corner and I’m not ready! I don’t mean that I haven’t bought my gifts yet (I haven’t). I’m just not ready for it to BE the holidays–not ready to pull out the decorations, make “the list,” check “the list” a bazillion times and still forget something. Not ready to gain five pounds. Not ready for the craziness to begin. I’m not quite the Christmas Kranks, but I like a clean house, a simple lifestyle, and under scheduled kids. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s less likely to happen once we start rockin’ around the Christmas tree.

Goal: Simplify with Gift Cards

This year, I am going to use gift cards to simplify my life. Rather than chase all over town buying traditional gifts, I’ll buy gift cards by the armful. And with the time savings, I’ll be able to make the those gift cards more personal. I’m even thinking the kids might find a gift card or two in their stockings. Because one thing I like less than clutter, is wasting time and money. With gift cards, the recipient can buy something he or she wants. With my personal touches, I’ll feel good about giving the gift cards as well.

Goal: Take Advantage of Gift Card Offers

I’ll be on the lookout for the “Give one, Get one” (G.O.G.O.) gift card deals and might even buy gift cards from online discounters. Though I prefer to pick a gift card off the rack so I can hold it, get inspired by it, and check for fees and expiration, the discount savings at places like Plastic Jungle can’t be ignored.

Goal: Budget.

Though it’s hard to find traditional gifts that fit exactly in your budget, with gift cards you decide how much to spend and don’t have to give a penny more. I rarely blow my budget on the accoutrements that go along with the holidays, but I do sometimes go overboard on the gifts. Another reason to stay with the gift cards.

Goal: Enjoy it.

With these parameters in place, I vow to enjoy the holiday season–even embrace it’s coming. If the worst problem I have is too much holly in the hallways, then I’ve got it pretty good. And I do. I just want to simplify the gift giving and keep the budget in check so I can spend more time reveling in the the blessings of this holiday season and less time worrying about it.

Why did it take me so long to do this?

Can you believe we’ve never taken a formal family picture? I’ve got a million snapshots (some of which include everybody), but no perfectly posed, matching outfits, five smiling faces photos. I have two excuses–one valid and the other just lazy.

The not-so-good reason we’ve never taken a family picture is because I dread moments where my children are expected to be, “on.” I know from too many days in the motherhood trenches that it is nearly impossible to make everybody happy at the same time. I can barely put a dinner on the table that meets with total approval much less get the entire clan dressed in clothes I pick out. Plus I have recurring flashbacks of the family picture I ruined as a kid because I had to stand while my brother and sister got to sit on a lap. (A total injustice for which I still remember the tantrum I threw. Sorry Mom.) So reason number one for not taking a family photo: justifiable fear.

Reason number two: We are on a tight budget and I always figured the cost of getting a formal sitting would be even greater than the emotional toll. But that’s where I was wrong. In a quick hour, Barry Zundel made us look like the family we strive to be. And rather than obligate us to buy expensive prints from him, he gave us a CD of digital photos I can print whenever and wherever I want. That will save me a bundle and has me thinking what a great idea it would be to give the gift of pictures. Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Photography: Get a gift card to a studio or a gift certificate from a local photographer. It doesn’t have to be plastic to be legit. If you know someone who takes pictures, pay in advance and deliver the gift certificate so there is no excuse for not capturing the moment.
• Prints: Get a gift card for photo development from a store or from one of the many online services such as Shutterfly or my favorite, blurb.
• Fashion: I did spend more hours than I wanted to looking for clothes we could all wear. With a gift card, I might have been able to get the job done faster because I would have focused more on the “look” and less on the price.
• Frames: Sometimes the frame costs more than the actual picture. With a gift card to the frame store, the recipient can turn a nice photo into a piece of art at a fraction of the cost.

Though I’m thinking right now about family photos, these gift card ideas would be great for graduation, new baby, wedding, or even a significant birthday. Come to think of it, do you need a good reason to take a picture at any time of year? Not really. All I needed was the right photographer and a little courage. I’m so glad we finally did this.

Paul loved receiving a gift card to his favorite sporting goods store.

With the  holidays coming up and recent changes to gift card laws, my gift-card-obsessed brain is bouncing around like a kid in front of the self-serve topping bins at Yogurt Shack. So many options–so many things to talk about, so many ways to use gift cards, to save money with gift cards, to get free gift cards, and so forth.

But in conversation with Laura Rowley, the Work & Life blogger at Simply Stated, I remembered why I started this website in the first place–simply to share my ideas on ways to turn any gift card into a thoughtful gift. Laura says she has felt funny giving a gift card because of the “impersonal nature of the whole thing.” She’s not alone. But if you add just a touch of effort, those anxious feelings can be dashed. You’ll give someone a gift they can enjoy and you can feel good about at the same time. (Thanks for the shout out, Laura!)

So just a reminder going into the holiday season to keep it Real (Simple). Rather than run all over town shopping for traditional gifts, stressing over sizes and styles, and overspending when nothing is in your price range, get your holiday list checked off in an afternoon by buying gift cards. Then you’ll have time to put a little effort into personalizing those gifts cards or simply enjoying the season.

I’ve got hundreds of ideas and more to come via my blog.  Take a deep breath…I’ll guide you through it!

Savvy shoppers save money with gift card offers

With each holiday, I see an increasing number of bonus gift card offers. They go something like this: Buy a gift card for a specified dollar amount and get a lesser gift card for free. Savvy shoppers can take advantage of these incentives to save a few pennies.

For Example:

For example, my local Safeway is offering a $10 coupon on my next shopping trip if I buy $100 or more in Visa Gift Cards. Now, Visa gift cards typically have an activation fee. But if the activation fee is less than ten dollars, then I could earn a few bucks just by buying the gift card. But do I need a Visa gift card? Sure. Here is how you pocket a few dollars without buying unnecessarily.

Take Advantage:

• Buy a Visa gift card for your personal shopping–an upcoming vacation or just daily expenses. You’re spending the money anyway. Putting your money on the gift card first simply allows you to get the bonus groceries.
• Buy a Visa gift card to put kids on a budget. Got kids going off to college, in need of spending money, or wanting to do a little back to school shopping?  With a Visa gift card, they can shop anywhere they want, but have to stay within the limit of the funds on the gift card.
• Plan ahead and buy gifts early. Think about upcoming birthdays, weddings, or even holiday shopping. If you’re going to spend the money in the near future, might as well save on groceries while you’re at it.

Expiration Dates?

One word of caution is to check the expiration dates. Thanks to gift card laws changing in August, the gift card you buy will be good for at least five years so you don’t have to worry about shopping too early. But the bonus gift card (in this case coupon), is likely only to be good for a specified period of time. So check restrictions before you buy.

Think Ahead

If you’re buying more than one gift card, you might need to do it in separate transactions so you can get the bonus for each gift card purchased–rather than one bonus for the total number of gift cards you buy. Check with the cashier to see if there is limit so you don’t over strategize.