Gift Cards....

If I've learned anything over the past three months, it's this:  Having a baby = being on a budget.  A tight, tight, ouch-I-can't-breathe-anymore {yup, that tight} budget.  Diapers and formula are crazy expensive... and we go through both like mad.  Seriously, who knew something so small could consume & produce so much?

I've come to accept the fact that these are not the days for wild shopping sprees and retail therapy.  {Oh, how I do miss those retail therapy sessions....}  With all the back to school shopping commercials & ads, though, I was beginning to miss the mall & the thrill of purchasing a little something.

Luckily, I just happened upon a stray gift card floating in my purse this morning.  "Call for Balance Inquiry" it said.  So I did just that.  A whopping $4.23.  Woo.  Not exactly the fantastic balance I had hoped for.

But as I hung up the phone, I thought of something--my secret stash of left over gift cards & merchandise credits.  For some reason, I have a habit of saving all of my partially used gift cards.  I usually spent a significant chunk on something as soon as I get the gift card, then keep the rest for.... well, for days like this I suppose. 

I dug them out {all 11 of them...} & proceeded to call the balance inquiry phone number and then enter the card number for each and every one of them.  I found it a little depressing when the automated woman on the other end told me, "Your. balance. is. zero. dollars. and. zero. cents" for a few of the cards.  {Why did I keep them?}  However, as I kept track of each balance with a sharpie marker on the back of the cards & then added them all up, I was quite pleasantly surprised. 

$122.52?  Yes, please!
Looks like a {much needed} retail therapy is in my futute after all!