As the time of holiday gift giving approaches, I offer you a recent experience to support your gift giving decisions. Gift cards have been and continue to be popular ways of satisfying a gift for another. They are easy actions when you don’t know exactly what someone would want to receive but you have a sense of the types of interests they might enjoy, such as, music, entertainment, videos, or clothing.  I, too, have used gift cards in the past for children’s birthdays, nieces and nephews, professional colleagues and teammates on sports teams.  Now, more than ever, I am convinced these are not a good idea.

Rummaging around in an old wallet, I found a Toys-R-Us gift card. I thought, surely this is trash. There can’t be any value on this card; my children are well into their teens. This gift card is more than 10 years old. My curiosity caused me to call the number on the back of the card and plug in the sixteen digit number; to my surprise, delight and alarm, “your balance is $39.43.”  To end this card, I went online and ordered family members music ear-buds for their electronics for this year’s holiday stocking.

Regardless of whether I have a unique problem misplacing gift-cards, the larger question remains: How many unused gift cards are lost, that go unused and unappreciated?  What is the total value? Well, I’ll tell you. According to consumer reports survey, last year alone 27% of all gift cards or $8 billion dollars worth of cards have gone unused. This figure is staggering and growing.

My suggestion this gift giving season… wonder into your gifts for others by getting curious about them. When you are curious about the recipient of your gift, the answers to what he or she would most like to receive come easily. See if you can suspend all desire to get it right or get the perfect gift. See if you can simply be with the person for whom you want to bestow joy with lightness, intention and wonder.  Let go of figuring out the perfect gift and see what emerges.

Also, consider good old fashion hand made gifts of food and sweets, Edibles are consumed and enjoyed in the present. Consider beautiful cards containing special sentiments and unique creative expression.

And if all of the above fails, there’s always the real deal, cash. Put a ten spot in your card with your genuine expressions of remembrance. Cash, as “they” say, is king.  Skip gift cards and make certain you use yours when they arrive.