The difference between gift cards and cash

It seems that for Christmas and my birthday (about a month and a half apart) I have family who will give me money and family who will give me gift cards. It's always the same people too. Which I am all down with. This was first Christmas in several years that I got an actual gift from my grandparents and not a gift card to Borders (I got an easel and it's awesome). Not surprising, since Borders is kaput. *sigh* It makes me super sad.

It sort of like this but the bottom bar doesn't extend the full length 

When I would get the gift card it would always take me longer to decide what I was going to buy than if I just had cash. I do this with all gift cards, it's like since that person took time to decide on a specific store I should pick out something special. The expectations are killer. Not that the people giving me the gift cards care, they only give gift cards because they think cash is impersonal. Which it is, but it's also way easier to spend.

Although when people give me cash I have a tendency to pay off school bills instead of buying myself a present. But education is the best gift there is. My parents got mad at me when the found out I spent all my birthday money on school a few years ago. So now I make sure I never tell them. Or I use the money to pay bills.

Basically if you want me to buy myself something give me a gift card, if you want me to be able to survive financially give me cash.

I love cash.

Not as much as Parker.

I can't find the video clip with her smelling the cash, but this one is funny too.