High percentage of consumers are planning to purchase gift cards this year. Yes, we love gift cards but guess what businesses love them more.

They're as ubiquitous as Christmas trees, fake snow, and plastic menorahs at the mall: gift cards. Everyone loves 'em, whether you're buying them or receiving them as gifts.

Stores also love them, but not for the reason you might think. Millions of retail dollars go unspent because people forget to use the gift cards, which is quite the present for merchants, who don't have to cough up a dime in merchandise.

Gift Cards: Businesses Love 'Em Even More Than You - NBCMiami.com

First of all you do not need to pay full price for gift cards. You can buy them online at eBay auctions at a discount. You see gift cards don't completely solve the gifting problem some of us have. Some recipients of these gift cards have no use for them and sell them below their face values.

I recommend checking out DeLeon's gift cards and coupons page to see well organized listings of gift cards and certificates. Last time I checked, there were eBay.