Use gift cards before companies go out of business

In these tough economic times we’ve heard about companies laying off employees and closing. The news has been so frequent that I’m already somewhat desensitized; however, there are some angles that I had not considered. Case in point, gift cards to companies going out of business are now use-it-or-lose-it. Andrea and I got several gift cards for the wedding and I generally get gift cards for Xmas and birthday, so I have a few saved up. Here’s a list of companies that are in trouble, so look to spend those certificates!

The Gap
Kmart
Sears
Office Depot
Circuit City
Dillard’s
Starbucks
Hallmark
Wilson’s Leather
Linens ‘n Things
BJ’s
Victoria’s Secret
Mervyn’s
RadioShack
Albertsons
Old Navy
The Bon Ton
Boscov’s
The Children’s Place
Ross
JCPenny
Blockbuster
Things Remembered
Rite Aid
Pep Boys
Staples
Michaels
Pier 1
Rack Room Shoes
Nine West
Jo-Ann Stores
Borders

Source: (original email that did not copy cleanly, so I found it online here) http://www.giftcardblogger.com/gift-card-alert-linens-n-things-going-out-of-business/