Gift List: Solved

Photo by Beatrice Murch

I found an unbelievable bargain for my Christmas shopping. Restaurant.com sells gift certificates at an enormous discount. I mean $3 for a $10 gift card, $10 for a $25 gift card, and $30 for a $75 gift card.

This is the perfect gift for people who are far away and have too much stuff. You can enter their zip code and choose a restaurant near them. And most are independent, not chains. I found a bunch of restaurants I know and like.

Be aware, though that there may be some restrictions on the gift cards. Like it may require an additional purchase, or it may not be valid on weekends. In these cases it's more like a coupon. Still, in these days when fewer people are eating out on their own dime, it's nice to have the cost of a nice meal subsidized.

But wait, there's more. If you shop through (which is a good idea anyway) you can stash 15% of the cost in your college savings account.

Even if you don't have kids of your own, you can designate Upromise savings for some other kid you know.

Win, win, win.