Maybe we could all learn a lesson from these two boys

My 8-year-old son has been stockpiling gift cards all year. From time to time, he’d ask me to buy something non-essential and I’d respond, “You can buy that with your own money.” He never wanted said item badly enough to part with the plastic.

But this morning, he and his little brother burst into my bedroom with a plan–they wanted to pool their money to buy Madden NFL and a new nun-chuck for the Wii. Your money? Yes. Something you really want? Yes. A non-couch activity for the summer? Let me get my keys.

This is just another example of why I love gift cards for kids. Matthew had received enough loot for Christmas and for his birthday that he didn’t want for anything else. So rather than redeem the gift cards frivolously, he saved them for a future purchase. In this world of instant gratification, I’m happy to see that his patience paid off.

Want to help your kids redeem gift cards? Click here.