LOLZ!

Women Stole Giftcard from 9 yr-old, Publicly Humiliated

If you want a Walmart gift card so bad, you can have mine.

I purchased a few of these cards for my closest friends!

Thats 19 for you and 1 for me

A previous post I wrote where I bitched, moaned, sniveled, whined, griped and complained about receiving a Walmart gift card instead of a Christmas bonus raised a question:

Did my boss select a gift card instead of cash or a real bonus to gain some sort of advantage on his taxes?

I did a bit of quick checking and, as far as I can tell, the answer is a resounding “no.”

Whaaaa!

Don’t worry, he’s still evil. But apparently that evil didn’t come into play … this time!

What I learned is that the IRS treats cash and gift cards exactly the same. The gross amount for both types of gifts must be reported by your employer to the IRS as “compensation.”

A gift certificate to a local restaurant would be taxable. Taking employees out to dinner at that same restaurant, on the other hand, would still be considered “non-taxable.”

Small gifts, like a Christmas turkey or a fruit basket, may be considered de minimis by the IRS and not subject to reporting as compensation.

For me the issue isn’t one of taxation. It’s that I’ve taken on a ton of additional responsibilities in the last 12 months and I’ve come through time and time again for the team. As such a $50 gift card to a store I don’t like feels more like an insult rather than a reward.

This post is based on information I found on this page on Law.com.

Edit: I just realized this post doesn’t address the main point that was intended. D’oh! Sometimes I’m freakin’ dumb. I guess I still don’t know what approach offers the best tax deductions for the company. So maybe that did still play some sort of role. Who knows? At this point I am so beyond caring.

The Holidays have reached Musashi-Do, and to celebrate the coming of of Christmas and the installation of the new automated gift card system (active since today), we’re having a bit Holiday Gift Card Sale!

All the new Gift Cards have their price sliced by 50% starting now until 11:59 PM on December the 23rd.
You read it well. 5000 L$ Gift Cards are priced 2500 L$, 2000 L$ ones are priced 1000 L$, 1000 L$ ones cost 500 L$ and so forth. Buy a nice gift for your friends and save money at the same time!

You can find the discounted gift cards at the Musashi-Do Flagship Store.

Note: if you have an older non-automated Musashi-Do Giftcard, don’t worry! Just send Shiryu Musashi an IM and he will replace it with a new automated gift card of the same value.

While you are at the Musashi-Do flagship store don’t forget to check the Milano Holidays 2009 and World Holidays 2009 twin Photographic Exhibitions, and since you’re saving money on the gift card, please consider purchasing the beautiful Milano Holidays Framed Picture Collection. The whole income for it’s purchase will be donated to Toys for Tots.

Happy Holidays!

This is the season of gift giving and a lot of people are busy wrapping and delivering gifts. I thought it would be great to share how to create this easy personalized gift card using Microsoft PowerPoint and Word applications.

Things you need:

• Computer with Microsoft PowerPoint and Word applications installed in it.
• Colored printer
• A4 card board
• Scissors
• Double sided tape

STEP 1: Look for a photo that you would like to use as background. You may take a look at your file and if you cannot find the photo that you like, you may search for a background through your favorite search engine.

STEP 2: Open your Microsoft PowerPoint application and set the slide pane to Blank.

STEP 3: From Insert Tab, click the Picture command and search for the picture that you would like to use. (Copy and paste from the source works too but the beauty of inserting a picture from the command is that the picture inserted automatically fits the slide pane.)

STEP 4: From the Insert Tab, click the Text Box command and place it to where you would like to position your text. Once added, you may now type your message. The default font style is Calibri (Body) at font size 18 but you may change it depending on your personal style.

STEP 5: Click SHIFT+F5 so that current slide will show on full screen. Once done, immediately click on FN+PRT SC (Function + Print Screen) keys to capture the image on the window. If you are using a desktop, clicking the Print Screen key to do this.

STEP 6: Open a Microsoft Word application and then type CTRL V to paste the image you have captured. You can see that the portion of the slide has been captured too but don’t fret because you can crop it using the Crop tool from the Picture tools.

STEP 7: You may add frame on your picture from Picture Style Group in Picture Tools Tab.

STEP 8: You may now resize the image to your desired size.

STEP 10: Print your work using an A4 cardboard paper and then cut it.

Today the Olympic Torch came through my town.  I  recorded it’s progress with my camera.  I would upload the short movies I ma to this post, but Dad has the USB cable required to transfer them onto the computer.

The crowd was loud.  It is mostly the only thing you can hear in the movies I made, besides my conversation with Mom, who was beside me.  My hand wasn’t very steady while I filmed it, so I may have accidentally aimed it at one of the people in the crowd instead of at the person holding the torch.  But most of it was of her, I think.

And besides that large event, I have had an amazing idea for crocheted animals!  I have even planned a colour scheme!  Green and white, blue and white, yellow and white, pink and white, red and white, purple and white, etc.  The animals themselves will be cute things like kittens and puppies and chicks and other animal young.  I could write a pattern book about them, if they are successful.  I had this idea in the late evening, when I was supposed to be sleeping.  That is the best time that I have found for coming up with ideas.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Yesterday was Yule.  It was great: I received a tripod, two EB Games gift cards, an Ardene’s gift card, and a stocking full of fun stuff.  I gave Dad the second Pink Panther DVD, Mom a book about knitting, and my sisters EB Games gift cards.  I have to hurry and make/buy something for Sarah!  Christmas is on Friday, and she is having her holiday then.  Mom’s mom is coming in January, so I have to finish what I am crocheting for her, and I have no idea what to make/buy for Jon!  And Dad’s birthday is on Thursday!  Four gifts to make/buy!  Less than a month to complete/buy them all!  Chaotic times, the holidays.  Wouldn’t you agree?

But I shouldn’t complain.  Holidays are for having a good time, right?  And I enjoy crocheting, so all four of them are getting quick crocheted things!

I really should get going.  See you tomorrow!

Laurie A, Oswego, IL:

Last year I discovered the joy of Discover CashBack Bonus. So, at the beginning of 2009 I started using my Discover card ever chance I could…groceries, gas, shopping. I signed up for each additional bonus rewards every opportunity. Each month I cashed in my CashBack Bonus for rewards cards. Instead of $20 or $40 dollars I would cash in for a $25 or $50 gift card adding more value to my CashBack Bonus. Come this Christmas, I had gift cards for my entire family. Everything from my new born nephew (The Children’s Place) to my teenage nice and nephew (Bath and Body Works, Gap, American Eagle. Plus, I got my sister an Express Card. A few days before I sent her package a coupon arrived for Express which gave her an additional $30 bucks off her next purchase….talk about perfect timing! Each year I give my family a special holiday ornament a small gift, but this year I was able to add a nice gift card to each of their annual gifts. Thank you Discover! I know we are in a recession but this year, thanks to Cashback Bonus, I was able to save over $300 and make this Christmas extra special for my loved.

Got a $15 gift card to Total Wine… Hmm, what to spend it on? Suggestions for a wine that is between $15-30 that totally surprised you recently!

Back in 1993 I wrote about my trip to Walmart after my previous employer gave me the ever-so thoughtful gift of a $50 Walmart card in lieu of a Christmas bonus. (I since reposted that bit of text on this new blog.)

As John McLane is wont to say, “How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?“

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I mean, I know we’re dummies up here, McClane, so give us a little taste of your brilliant genius! I mean, you talking about a hijacking, a robbery or what?”

“Somebody’s about to seriously fuck with this employee!“

Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas. Yep, it happened again. The Ghost of Christmas Past dropped by and had a little bit of holiday cheer for me. A $50 Walmart gift card. Oh noes, not again!

At the Christmas party, Mrs. Abyss was in attendance and is an eyewitness, our manager explained we were lucky to have our jobs and we were also lucky that hours hadn’t been cut, right before giving us the gift of a Walmart card. Like I told Mrs. Abyss, even a $50 Walmart card is better than nothing or a kick in the face. But all in all it mostly just offended us.

Why a gift card? Why not a nice crisp $50 bill that we can spend and use any way we want? Why tie the strings on our “gift?” I fucking hate gift cards. And it’s for a store I fucking hate. How … thoughtful.

So I found myself at the local Walmart. No, unlike before, I won’t turn it into a short story. I’ll just concisely say that I picked up two bags of cat food, a container of kitty litter and a bottle of Pine Sol. As I loaded up on these “gifts” I’m sure that nearby shoppers could pick up the sound of me singing my favorite holiday refrain: “Merry Christmas to me.“

By Andria Cheng

With few days remaining until the Christmas holiday, retailers are hoping that last-minute shoppers either out of ideas or things to buy will turn to gift cards.

Yet gift-card sales are expected to be flat or down this holiday after posting a decline last year. Retailers now are betting that the new twists and looks they give to gift cards can compel purchases.

While they aren’t counted as sales until after redeemed, gift cards yield nice dividends for retailers because shoppers tend to spend more than the value of their gift cards and they are a good way to drive traffic back to stores, analysts say.

“Our customers historically spend over two times the value of a gift card when they come back to redeem,” said Best Buy Co.’s (BBY) Chief Executive Brian Dunn on a conference call on Tuesday.

He said gift-card sales at the No. 1 U.S. electronics chain were up about 40% in November, including about doubling on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s “a fact that has contributed meaningfully to our post-Christmas business in recent years.”

Concerns about the validity of cards after bankruptcies of retailers such as Sharper Image and Linens ‘n Things have lingered, while attractive discounts and promotions have made it more alluring to buy an actual gift with more perceived value than giving a gift card instead, analysts say. The economic downturn and reduced consumer spending across the board also shrank gift-card sales.

Store gift-card spending this year is expected to fall by 7%, its second straight year of decline, according to research firm TowerGroup. With shoppers being more budget-conscious and buying more practical items, that in turn will drive up general-purchase cards (which allow consumers to redeem cards at different stores) by 3%, TowerGroup said. Total gift-card spending is expected to decline 4.4% to $87 billion this year.

About 49% of respondents in an America’s Research Group and UBS survey conducted in mid-December said they bought a gift card this holiday, compared with 53% a year earlier, as shoppers are increasingly chasing promotional deals on gift items.

Engaging Customers

To drive demand, Best Buy’s new gift-card choices this holiday season included one in the shape of an actual toy car and another card that lights up. Its new “Pitch In” card, unveiled in October, allows groups of people to contribute to a card that can be used for larger-ticket purchases. “Customers love that sort of frazzle-dazzle that goes on,” said Anne Platt, Best Buy’s senior director of marketing, in an interview.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is offering more than 50 new greeting-card styles that can be personalized and sent for free this holiday season.

Home Depot Inc.’s (HD) gift-card roster included a 3D interactive card, which, when flashed before a Webcam on a computer, will reveal a crate suggesting products and projects for the value of the card. This is also the first time shoppers can use the largest home-improvement retailer’s gift cards to pay for an online purchase.

“You can bring more robust opportunities” to market, said David Stone of CashStar, which provides digital gift-card services to retailers from Home Depot to Container Store.

To engage more customers, retailers such as CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) have been adding incentives such as giving an extra gift card to card buyers; the campaign is called “GoGo,” short for “give one, get one,” according to Stone.

To get consumers in the stores, teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) is giving a $25 gift card, which must be used by the end of January, to shoppers who spend at least $100 at its namesake chain.

No. 1 U.S. specialty-clothing chain Gap Inc. (GPS) is looking to make gift cards more compelling, with initiatives such as the “give 110%” promotion at its Banana Republic chain. The store takes 10% off a purchase price when a shoppers uses a gift card from Dec. 26 through the end of January. That is when most retailers close books on their fourth quarter, the industry’s biggest selling season.

Gift cards also are becoming more like awards themselves, superseding prizes like vacation giveaways, in retailer contests and events. Stores such as Lane Bryant undertake these efforts to engage shoppers and attract new customers who are interested in their brands, instead of people who might only be interested in a car or a free vacation, said Eric Holmen, president of SmartReply, a digital mobile-marketing firm. SmartReply’s clients include Gap and Sports Authority, as well as Neiman Marcus and Kohl’s Corp. (KSS)

Companies “are looking for excuses to engage customers,” he commented. “The gift card seems to become currency. You are able to prospect through new customers.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091218-711843.html

Giveaway Ends Dec. 24th

What’s the best last minute gift? What’s the one gift you know everyone is going to love? Gift cards! Thi is why I believe the American Express Gift Cards are the perfect last minute, and all around gift. American Express Gift Cards come in denominations of $25, $50, $100, and $200, and are available for purchase online at www.americanexpress.com/gift, and at over 70,000 retailers nationwide.

Since the American Express Gift Cards can be used anywhere at any time they make the ultimate last minute gift. Or the gift idea when you don’t know what else to buy. I also love the idea of making gift baskets and putting gift cards in them. It’s the one thing you know will be  hit, and make a great addition to any gift basket.

Check out www.americanexpress.com/gift to purchase or for more information. Gift cards make great last minute gifts

AMAZON.COM GIFT CARDS

Redeemable for millions of items on Amazon.com, no fees, no expiration.

You choose:

Amazon.com gift card

Immediate delivery, you pick from 50 design choices and email it away,

or

Amazon.com Printable Gift Card

Immediate Delivery, you pick from 50 design choices and print it out on your own paper.

Customized your  messages,  make them special.

Choose from $5 to $5000

The perfect way to secure those last minute gifts,

BUY NOW,RIGHT HERE,RIGHT NOW

Get it sorted today,No Hassle,No Timewasting

Another great gift idea

from

WEB-SHOPPER-STAR

You can use an Amazon Gift Card, Gift Certificate, or Promotional Certificate to purchase Kindle devices, books, and accessories. You must first redeem a Gift Card to Your Account and the funds will automatically be applied when you place your next Kindle order(s). Any available balance will be used for your Kindle store purchase before your credit or debit card is charged. Your Gift Card balance cannot be used to pay for subscription content from the Kindle store.

To redeem a Gift Card to Your Account:

1. Visit the Your Account page.
2. Click “Apply a gift card to your account.”
3. Sign in with your e-mail address and password.
4. Enter your claim code and click “Redeem now.” Your funds will automatically be applied to your next order.

]]> http://ascrapoftime.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/gift-card-holders/ Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:05:15 +0000 ascrapoftime http://ascrapoftime.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/gift-card-holders/

Here’s a little way to add a personal touch to giving a gift card…. make your own holder!

Start by cutting a 2 3/4″ x 9″ piece of cardstock. (I would recommend using a cardstock that is not a white core, as the color tends to crack and the white shows when the paper is creased and folded.)

Measure from the left and mark your cardstock at 3 3/4″ and at 7 5/8″. Score and fold. (My paper cutter has a scoring blade, but if you don’t have one of those, a pizza cutter works really well, or the dull side of a butter knife. Use a ruler as a guide.)

Next, with your folded parts sticking up, measure in 1/2″ from each crease and mark.

Cut two 6 1/4″ lengths of ribbon. Line up the edge of the ribbon to the marks as shown in the pic below.

Put a dot of glue on each edge of the holder where the ribbon is going to go. Make sure to leave enough space in between your glue points for the gift card to fit. Gluing at the edges will help give a tighter fit to hold the card.

Flip the cardstock over, and secure the edge of the ribbon with another dot of glue. Keep in mind that you are going to cover the glued portion of the ribbon with an embellishment so if you want it centered, glue the ribbon in the center of the card. If you want your embellishment off center, then glue accordingly.

Repeat with the second ribbon as shown below.

Now it’s time to decorate! I chose snowflakes (can you tell I have a thing for snowflakes?). Choose a larger embellishment to place on the small folded part, this is going to be your closure. Glue it halfway off the edge of the cardstock as shown, so it will overlap when the holder is closed. (I know, obvious note, but make sure you glue it to the correct side of the paper…. the folded parts should be facing down!)

Use a little Zot to close the holder, and your all done!

]]> http://cashbackconnection.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/my-reward/ Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:12:08 +0000 Discover Card http://cashbackconnection.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/my-reward/

Jackie P, FORT COLLINS, CO:

I love to cook so I used my reward to get a gift card from Bed Bath and Beyond, a Cashback Bonus Partner. I used it to buy a set of really nice knives that I had been wanting for sometime. I love them!

Deb DMA:

I am just writing to say “you have made my day!”
I am paying my families bills (not fun) and realized I had some rewards points to redeem so……………I just treated myself to my favorite pick me up during the day- Starbucks- w/a starbucks gift card-

Thank you Discover!!!!!

My kids are going to thank me for this one! Tin Star is one of their favorite quick-service restaurants, and one of mine too. Their Santa Fe salad is divine… Oh, and that never-ending complimentary basket of warm tortilla chips and all those salsa options to choose from, or choose them all!

How do you magically turn $25 into $35? If you place your order online TODAY between 8am & 4pm, you’ll get a $10 bonus gift card with the purchase of a $25 gift card. Who says you can’t use both cards for yourself?

Find a Tin Star near you — or your gift card recipient. They’re in Texas & Oklahoma.

Only good 8am – 4pm today, 12/18/09

I’m not allowed to link this one.  Go to Earth Fare and register for their e-newsletter.  This coupon offer was listed in today’s edition.  The coupon expires 12/22/09 and is valid one time only.

Broke and yet a hot house

Shing W, Lakeland, FL:

I am a 24 year old single teacher who bought her 1st home this past september. Like any other person, or couple who buys their first home, I had pennies in the bank after buying the home. However I had one problem – I was broke with ugly wall paper that took me back to the 1st grade. The wallpaper was everywhere and in my masterbath, it was a raised metallic (golds, silvers and peach) seashells that covered the walls accompanied by peach laminate counters and cabinets and shiny gold fixtures! A girl can’t live like that! But then I remembered that I had some money saved up in my cashback bonus reserve, and I redeemed the rewards for a Lowe’s gift card. Two weeks later, I used my rewards to buy paint, wallpaper remover, spraypaint and a laminate resurfacing paint. I now have a modern looking beige bathroom with white vanities! Where’s all the golds, silvers, and peach? In the trash where it belongs! Thank you Discover card!

Laura H, chicopee, MA:

Christmas is always a tight time on the wallet. My father wanted a gift card to Lowes for his present. Lowes participates with Discover card so I was able to get my fathers christmas present covered without putting more strain on my wallet!

Ralph P, Merrimack, NH:

The bulk of my bonus points were derived from groceries, gasoline and restaurants. Seeing as there are very few Bonus Partners that offer a $25 for $20 gift card, I opted to use my current bonus as cash towards the change of car that I recently made.