If you exchange presents, odds are… you received a gift card. The myth is that gifts cards are 'as good as cash.' That's baloney. We use cash. Cash doesn't have a declining balance. Cash isn't limited to only one store.
10 – 15% of gift cards are never used. They are either forgotten or lost. Even more gift cards get smacked with an annoying and costly maintenance fee. Maybe your gift card doesn't have one today but are you sure it won't have a maintenance fee tomorrow? Companies change policies all the time.
So I propose you use them. Today. Go out to those after Christmas sales and buy something. We got a gift card for a store with a grocery section. We bought canned tomatoes. I kid you not. A pantry full of canned tomatoes. Could I have bought those tomatoes for less elsewhere? Maybe but the card had a stiff maintenance fee so we bought.
What if the store isn't one you frequent? Then obviously it is a store the gift giver loves. Get her something classic from there. Something that won't be out of style next Christmas. Then put that in a Ziploc bag or a sealed plastic tote and store it for next Christmas (or a birthday or…).
Use them.