The Tale Of A 13 Year Old Gift Certificate

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were searching for some paperwork and what did he find but an old Bed Beth & Beyond gift certificate from years past.  He said something along the lines of how he couldn't believe he found an unused gift certificate from our wedding and I told him to check the date...our wedding was in 2001, this was 1997, my high school graduation, which made him even more surprised! I remember receiving it as a graduation present and wanting to use it for supplies for my college dorm room, but losing it.  He told me I should try to use it now, and I was like are you kidding me?!  A thirteen year old gift certificate?  They don't even make gift certificates anymore, it's been gift cards for years!  He said you never know, it doesn't have an expiration date on it, and left it on the dryer in the laundry room.


We were repainting some hand-me-down bunk beds for my son and when they were finished, we needed to buy him some twin bedding.  I was going to check out Bed Bath & Beyond and Target, and my husband told me I should take the gift certificate with me.  I decided to try it, what did I have to lose except maybe a little pride?!  (I mean, walking in as an almost 31 year old with a gift certificate from my senior year is a little dorky, but hey, our budget is tight so it was worth a try!)


I walked in, went to the counter, and told the woman my tale...she laughed and said she would check it out...and then informed me that it was still active! I cracked up laughing, and promised her I would blog and give BB&B props for following through on their no expiration date promise!  I browsed their bedding and didn't find anything for my son, but picked up 3 packs of K-Cup refills for my Keurig coffee maker (9.99 apiece) and some no slip sheet holders for my daughter's bed (5.99).  I took my purchases to the checkout line and handed the kid at the counter two coupons (one for $5 off purchase and one for 20% off an item-I had heard they combined coupons) and my gift certificate.  Since he was a mere toddler when this gift certificate was issued, he had to ask someone how to process it since he had "never seen one before" (sigh).  However, when everything rang up and all was said and done, I only owed them $4.03 for a purchase that should have been nearly $40.00!  That's my kind of shopping!

So my husband was right, and any dorkiness I felt was wiped out by the satisfaction of lots of money saved! Way to go Bed Bath & Beyond...evidently you keep your promises.  And this day will go down in my bargain-hunting history forever!  :)