Have you ever heard the phrase "I have money burning a hole in my pocket"?  Well with not as many people carrying around cash anymore, it would not be a surprise if you have some credit cards or for the purpose of this article....GIFT CARDS in your wallet or purse.

Jan 15th (Saturday) is National Use Your Gift Card Day, so if you have an old gift card lying around that you may have forgotten about, or perhaps there is one with a small balance on it, or you got one for Christmas...GET ON IT!

I must confess, I am guilty of this.  I just do not want to throw one out if there is any kind of balance left.  Even if it is just a dollar or two.  I want to use every penny.  I found an old Stan's Donuts that my mother had given me one year.  It had to be at least a year old.  Since I do visit my family, I hung on to it because I knew eventually I would travel home and use it.  And after a few years, I finally used it up.  :)

I received an Amazon Gift Card from my nephew for Christmas and I have yet to use it.  I suppose I can just put the info into my Amazon account and wait for the right time to buy a purchase I really need.

51% of people said they have unused gift cards, and the average person was sitting on $116.  But that was in July.  The holiday season has just passed, so you might have a lot more than that.  This "holiday" is mostly just a reminder . . . you don't "get" anything for using your gift card tomorrow.  Just be sure to use it before you lose it.

I remember an episode of Shark Tank, that had a man with a business called Gift Card Rescue.  Click HERE for the website.   If you have an old gift card that you do not think you will ever use, go to the website and this company might purchase it from you at a reduced price and you can get something out of it.

As for some tips on what to do if you have one, keep it in your wallet or purse, and perhaps keep a list of what cards you have from previous businesses.  And always try and zero out the card whenever you use it.  Or write the balance on the card.  A lot of websites will allow you to just upload the card info and you can begin shopping.  Perhaps with the snow coming, now you have an excuse to use it this weekend.  Happy shopping!

50 Famous Brands That No Longer Exist

More From KIX 105.7