The following article was originally posted on GiftCardGirlFriend.com – Your Guide to Guilt-Free Gift Carding.  We’re big fans of this site and loved this article so much we asked the author if we could share it with all of our readers as well. Thanks Shelley!

With three kids going back to school (and soccer and football and scouts, etc.), my budget is tapped. We’re reusing last year’s backpacks and lunch boxes to save money, but the kids still needed a few things. So I combined gift cards and coupons to stretch the dollars a bit further. Here’s what I did:

Work It:

1. Scoured the newspaper and mailers for high discount coupons.
2. Bought discount gift cards to go along with the best coupons.

Big Savings:

For example, I received coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase at JC Penney. Then I bought a $25 JC Penney Gift Card for $21.50 at Plastic Jungle.

At JC Penney, Ally found two pairs of skinny jeans for a total of $25.99 plus a must-have, embellished top on the clearance rack for $10. The bill came to $35.99 plus tax. With our coupon and gift card, however, we paid almost nothing at the register. By combining discounts, I paid $21.5o to Plastic Jungle for essentially $35.99 in merchandise at JC Penney. That’s 40% in savings.

Going Forward:

Yes, it takes a little work and forethought. Yes, a good coupon can make all the difference. But there are stores like JC Penney, Kohls, Macy’s, and Old Navy that routinely send out special promotions. If you buy discount gift cards in advance and match ‘em up with the coupons as they arrive, you can save a lot of money.

Plan Ahead for the Holidays:

With the holidays coming up, combining gift cards with store sales and coupons could be the relief your budget is waiting for.

Shelley loves to receive gift cards. As a mom on a fairly tight budget, she rarely has money for self-indulgences like pedicures, spa treatments, and clothes not picked from the clearance rack. But if somebody gives her a gift card for such pampering, she get to shop and enjoy these experiences guilt-free. Even buying more practical items without spending my own money is a welcome treat.