Overwhelmed with holiday gift cards? Sell them for cash!

This isn't so much an educational tip as an "FYI" tip for our readers. If you're like us, you ended up with a lot of gift cards this holiday season. Typically, gift cards can't be exchanged for cash at the store. If it's not a retailer you normally use, this can be a problem. Luckily, we've found four great sites that let you cash in on your unwanted holiday and birthday gift cards.

Plastic Jungle You click "Sell Now" and enter the information on your gift card. The site tells you what percentage will be paid in advance. For example, it says it will give me 84% of the value of my Bed, Bath, and Beyond gift card. It looks like they just take the card number, without needing the physical card.

Card Pool This site offers to send me a check for $82.00 for a $100.00 BB&B gift card, and will cover the shipping costs. It looks like they want the physical card, rather than just the number.

Gift Card Rescue This site offers $80.00 cash or an $84.00 Amazon gift card for my $100.00 BB&B gift card.

Card Woo This site offers up to 90% of the card's value, but it looks like I'll have to register before getting an offer on my card.

It's nice to know that unwanted gift cards won't be wasted! Then again, seeing that we can instantly save a nice percentage off a purchase by buying a discounted gift card first, this little exercise might end up costing more than it saves! Then again, if we use our purchased gift cards for things we would have bought anyway, there's no harm.

Can anyone remember the days before the internet, when getting a discount was a rare treat? Between sites like these, GroupOn, Amazon Local, restaurant.com, etc., we haven't paid retail since the last millennium!

If you have any other tips on how to stretch a teacher's salary, please let us know.

Irish Proclamation of Independence (1916) in Authentic Irish Accent

Here is a fun twist to teaching about the independence movement in Ireland. We have a free video you can play for students that features a young Irishman reading aloud the 1916 Irish Proclamation of Independence. His authentic Irish accent is certain to be a treat for teenagers who may have never heard a real Irish accent before.

 

 

You can also view the video here, where we also have the complete text.  There is likewise a free printable DBQ (document-based questions) worksheet that contains the complete text of this important historical document.

Need a printable checklist for choosing your new apartment?

Here's something that's useful for everyone! It's a free printable apartment checklist sheet, available here.

Now that the second half of the school year is approaching, many high school seniors are gearing up to rent their first apartments soon. Obviously, the study of Economics covers the cost of living. But once the student (or adult...I've had friends/relatives use this sheet) has a budget, how does he/she decide on an actual apartment?

This worksheet is the answer. The idea is that the "future renter" brings a copy of this sheet to each apartment viewing. The sheet features tons of categories (number of electrical outlets, size, look of the neighborhood, building amenities, and so forth). There is extra room for notes. This way, the future renter has plenty of info to reflect upon after a day of apartment-viewing, and can make an informed decision.

Obviously, anyone looking to rent a new place will find these useful. For Economics or Life Skills students and teachers, these apartment checklist sheets offer terrific fodder for discussions and questions.

Example #1 - What is the time/money cost of paying for laundry facilities? Lots of kids grow up in homes with washers and dryers. Using the laundry room in an apartment building can easily cost at least $3.00 per load (not including detergent and fabric softener). Some rentals don't have laundry facilities, which means spending a couple of hours at the laundromat each week. Washing only a few loads of laundry a week easily adds up to at least $10.00 a week, or $520.00 a year. Ask your students to calculate the costs of washers and dryers, including energy cost, and then to calculate the savings (over, say, five years) of buying a washer and dryer.

Example #2 - Have students look at the energy costs of an apartment. Spacious places are nice, but how much do they cost to heat and cool?

Example #3 - Deposits/Property damage. Did you know that most states require landlords to return a deposit with interest? If you don't know, don't feel bad...most people assume that because of some thing or another, they can never get a rental deposit back. Not true! Normal wear-and-tear are okay, and the place needn't be spotless when you leave (although actual stains, such as on carpet, can be an issue). Discuss these and other renting financial issues to help create smart consumers.

You get the idea. Enjoy. :)