The Gift Card Dilemma

Good Morning all,  Finally we have a normal Monday morning post.  This can be a budgeting post or how to get money from all those gift cards you don't use. The boys and I got several this year and you would think people know I live 5 minutes walking distance to Wal-mart they would give me a walmart card--no such luck  I'm not a big fan of sending my gift cards off and waiting for the companies to cut me a check.  So I did a little looking around.  This is what I found out.  There are convenience stores that buy gift cards. They do charge a lot when they said 50%.  I said I'd come back.  Fortunately for me Safeway now buys gift cards. Their fees are not so bad 25-30 %.  For those of you who live in the pacific northwest(you lucky ducks) they even have a machine that's like an atm.  You put your card in it and it tells you how much.  You decide if you want the money and it spits it out like an atm.  Hope this helps and don't forget to check the store out online to see if they have anything you want from that gift card i.e. JC Penney, Sears etc.  Get those bargains hopping.