Where did all these Gift Cards come from ?

Okay, so I know where they came from because the name of the store they represent is RIGHT THERE on the card ... but what I mean to ask is:

How did I acquire so many?

And the better question: JU$T how much money I$ left on THE$E ?!

The other evening Karen treated me to Cold Stone Creamery ice cream.  It was yummy!  We decide to go mainly because she had a $5 gift card, which she said she had gotten from me some time ago.

Score!  Nothing tastes better than FREE FOOD!

So today while I was listening to some calls at work I pulled out my wallet to see if I had any gift cards inside.  I was shocked to find FIVE gift cards.  That's not even counting the two I'm carrying around in my back pocket that I got for Christmas.

I found I had the following (amidst all my other "wallet stuff"):

 - A gift card to Panera Bread (with the number 4.50 written in scratchy pen at the top on the back).

 - A gift card from Home Depot (with nothing scribbled on the back).

 - Two gift cards to Wal-Mart (both with $10 written in red pen on the back).

 - And a gift card to Maggie Moos ice cream (with what I can best guess is 4.24 hastily written on the back) ... in my defense, it looks quite faded and could easily be 4.79, etc.

The two gift cards I have in my back pocket are for $30 at Smashburger (mmmm, getting hungry just thinking about it!) and for around $60 to Zio's.

The latter was a gift from my team (it was for $100, which was extremely generous of them, but we've already gone out to lunch once on it).

The former was from either Karen or Santa Claus (I can't remember but they both deserve credit for knowing me so well!)

So realizing this at work I came up with only one solution.  When I left around 1:30pm, I went to Wal-Mart and bought myself a new basketball (only cost a little out of pocket).  And then I popped next door to Home Depot and bought a piece of insulation for the garage door.  That way I could find out that after the purchase I still had $17 and change on the card.  Score again!  I also have made plans to reward myself with a Cinnamoo shake (don't knock the name until you try one ... they're soooo yummy!) on Saturday if I get my work all done earlier in the day.

I love finding gift cards (as long as they still have money on them and haven't expired or something like that).  It's like putting on a winter coat and finding a $20 bill in the pocket.  It's like ...

FREE MONEY !!!

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