I have a little tradition here in the suburbs. Every year when my dear daughters birthdays roll around, not only do I try and find the perfect birthday gifts for them, but I pick up a little something for me! Yup, you read that right. I buy a birthday present for myself. Sure, they may be the one’s having the birthday, but I’m the one who carried those giant babies around for 40 weeks, and have been looking after them every single day since. Don’t I deserve a little something special to celebrate the day? Of course I do! So this year, when I received a Prepaid Card as I gift, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. Spend it on me..in celebration of my daughters 17th birthday of course!
What is a prepaid card? Open loop prepaid cards look and function like traditional credit and debit cards and can be used anywhere the card network (American Express, MasterCard and Visa) is accepted, including online and around the world. They do have one significant difference to credit and debit cards: they access a set amount of funds that have been pre-loaded.
Why do I sometimes opt to use a pre-paid card? I use them often!
They are great for travel. Funds are universally acceptable. Consumers can make purchases anywhere in the world the card is accepted, including online and over the phone.
Excellent for keeping tack of my dollars and cents! Budgeting Tool. They are an excellent tool to manage a budget because a set amount of funds are loaded in advance of the purchase.
Simple to use. Cards are convenient and easy to use. They function in a similar fashion to credit and debit cards at the point-of-sale and offer the same fraud and loss protections.
No hidden fees! Consumers can avoid costly overdraft fees and interest charges. A set amount of funds are loaded in advance of a purchase, so consumers can control their budget and avoid interest charges and overdraft fees.
A smart way to help students who want to do a little shopping either at the mall or on-line. Financial Inclusion. Open loop prepaid cards open the door to economic participation for “unbanked” or “underbanked” Canadians without a banking or credit relationship.
Cards provide good value. Many open loop prepaid card programs provide several ways for cardholders to access cash or perform transactions without incurring fees.
Consumers are protected. Open loop prepaid cards are issued by financial institutions and prepaid issuers comply with all applicable laws and regulations with respect to compliance and consumer protections. Consumers are protected from fraud and loss in accordance with the Zero Liability protections of the card network.
With all of this top of mind I was ready to get some shopping done. I had birthday gifts to buy, some splurging to do on myself and a $200.00 budget. I took to the internet to see what kind of deals I could find. Here’s what I picked up, on time and thanks to my prepaid card, on budget without ever leaving the house!
My first stop, as always was Chapters Indigo. A quick read is always a good idea! Don’t you just love giving books as gifts? I picked up The 5th Wave, and All the Light We Cannot See. That girl of mine loves to read, so two novels for under $25.00 that she will read over and over again is a no brainer!
Second stop was a new find; PacSun who not only do they deliver to Canada, but this company lists their clothing in Canadian prices! Woot! Both my girls adore this store. I found a Young & Reckless Dishin’ Raglan Crew Neck Sweatshirt on promo for $35.69 and an LA Hearts Silver Glitter iPhone 6 Case for only $8.15! Sweet!
A quick spin through Garage Clothing and I could see there were once again offering their Free Shipping. Obviously a sign I needed to do some shopping here! The Fringe Poncho for $36.95 was a must have! Add in a basic but essential Racer Back Cami at $9.95 and a cute pair of denim shorts for $25.00 and that outfit is complete!
So now that all the shopping was done for my Birthday Girl this meant I got to do some shopping for me? Yes! One of my favourite on-line stores to pick up a little pretty? Banana Republic. That’s where I picked up a stunning red Dolman Faux-Wrap Blouse on sale for $75.99 and then a coupon code for 50% off! Happy Birthday to me! I may just be patting myself on the back for starting this little tradition.
Can you believe I found all of these gifts, bought them with confidence on line, and stayed on budget all thanks to my Prepaid card?! So much fun!
To learn more about the benefits of Prepaid Cards visit the Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization (CPPO and be sure to read about all the benefits of prepaid cards. Once you’re done come on back for your chance to WIN your very own $100 Prepaid Gift Card! Yes, one lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will win a $100 Prepaid Gift Card of their very own to spend as they wish.
To win; comment below what you would buy with your $100 Prepaid card if you won, then use the Rafflecopter form below to complete your entries. Open to residents of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their Province. Closes February 28th, 2016. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I’d put it towards basics like groceries and gas!
Spring is coming up and I am in dire need of new shoes.
I would use it to go out for a nice dinner
I would spend the money on a spa day for myself!
I would buy some shoes and toys for my son.
Oh! I think I would probably save it and then probably splurge on a nice dinner for my fiance- keep it in my back pocket, like ‘celebrate Tuesday’ or ‘Congrats on not wacking your co-worker over the head with a wiffle bat for stealing your lunch from the fridge. Here’s a steak you don’t have to cook’.
LOL.
If I won I would put it towards a new washing machine which I need so badly.
If I won, I would buy new gym clothes and runners
sadly, I’d probably use it to buy groceries – lame
I would save for a trip!
I would save it for a trip 🙂
I would likely buy a new spring jacket that I’ve had my eye on!
A new blender!
I would use it to buy an attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. I love cooking and baking 🙂
If I would I would buy some much needed spring clothes