Finally, the Northeast has begun to dig out from the blizzard that dumped three feet of snow on everything, creating Currier & Ives winter scenes. This is just in time as the holiday season still has one banner event to keep us entranced: the arrival of the New Year, 2011.

Here comes 2011, and media all over the place is buzzing about how much we’ve come to rely on the ease of giving and using gift cards. Apparently, over 41% of consumers use gift cards (according to Internet Retailer). No doubt there’s a good chance you’ve given and received more than one gift card in the past few weeks.

It’s December 29^th. Do you know where your gift cards are?

Is this your house, too?

The infographic points out a few places, but misses the places I’m always finding gift cards: the second old wallet… the “girl’s brunch and shopping” purse… the jacket which should have been advertised as “wool coat with 100 hidden pockets”. So I believe it: The average American household has $300 of unused gift cards hiding around the house.

So now, while you’re developing your list of New Year’s Resolutions, think about that resolution to “save more” and all that unused money. When you do scare up those cards, you might wait and see if you’ll take advantage of them, buy why not swap them out? As the web’s largest secured gift card exchange, Plastic Jungle has made the news a few times recently, including CNNMoney.com and CBS Moneywatch.

In 2011, December’s holiday and vacation bills will show up. And you’ll have all those unused cards in your hands. It might be tempting to wait and see if you’ll use them. Take on that resolution to save more, be more careful with your money, and your time, and then come back to see us at Plastic Jungle.