I think gift giving divides into what I call order takers and dream fillers. Order takers want to provide something that the recipient specifically wants or needs, and that completes the 'transaction'. A subset of order takers just need to check off a gift from the list, and as long as it is an object or GC, check it done. For an order taker, gift cards are a godsend. No more running hither and yon trying to find X or Y, just pick up the card, load it and boom, mission accomplished. Dream fillers want to provide a gift that, as the saying goes, the recipient didn't know s/he wanted until it appeared. For dream fillers, the downside is trying to get into the minds of people to suss out just the perfect item. Not an easy task! For a dream filler, gift cards or cash completely negate the goal, and to boot they kill the dream by making it crystal clear just how much was spent on fulfilling the 'dream'. I used to be a dream filler--it was my perpetual goal to get the PERFECT gift for those on my list. However, as I've gotten older I have come to realize that as with much else in life you can't control or force anyone to feel, do or enjoy gifts no matter how carefully you try to pick something special. And of course gift cards as a product have exploded; you can literally give them for every and any product or service. What I do now is try to combine order taking and dream filling. So, for Christmas I paired a package of sugar free chocolate bars I special ordered for my diabetic dad with a GC for a movie theater. He and my stepmother will be facing an extended period of medical treatment out of town and my 'dream' is that they can have a night out at the movies as a respite, where he can snack on treats that aren't bad for him. I gave my sisters, all of whom like me are avid readers, each a pair of book-themed novelty socks packaged with an Amazon GC. Dream: they can order something they enjoy reading and peruse it wearing snazzy socks. Okay, that one is pretty light hearted dream filling but still, it's at least a start! And that's how I try to combine the practicality of gift cards with at least some attempt at creativity and personalization. Ann

Hopefully for the last time, a Power of Attorney is a piece of paper. It's not a person, a legal capacity, or a status. . I've been away from home but I have a copy of some forms in my digital possession with the following effect. The first, a durable and mostly limitless General Power of Attorney, says: "I, XXX, a resident of YYY County, State, appoint as my attorney in fact: My name". It's a 19 page document. As a result of which, I am that person's "attorney in fact". The document is a Power of Attorney Another document for that same person is a durable power of attorney for health care that names me as "agent". My title under that document is "agent". The document is a healthcare power of attorney. I also have that person's will that names me as Executor. As a result, when acting under that document, I am "Executor". The document is a will. This is an area I worked in, in my professional career, for which I had a state license and plenty enough training. Not much, it isn't that complicated, irrespective of what people think they know based only on what they've heard used or misused.

Found this online: (I was thinking maybe your bank.) In addition to some strong rewards credit cards, Mastercard offers an international prepaid gift card and a prepaid travel card. You can also get gift cards and prepaid cards with the Mastercard logo at big box stores like Walmart, Target and Sam’s Club. You can also get a prepaid card at a post office. Most Visa cards that you purchase are US-bound. However, Visa does offer some gifts cards that can be used abroad through banks, such as the PNC Bank Visa Gift card. You can find a variety of prepaid cards online that can be used internationally. Be sure to check the fine print to be aware of any transaction fees.

I have an interesting story. A good friend from childhood and I have phone conversations every so often as she lives across the state from me. They have had some medical issues and bills plus i don't think they have a lot of extra money. She always seems a little depressed when we talk so i don't talk about my life and how exciting and good it is now. Her birthday was in November and we always exchange birthday cards but this year i decided to try and perk her up so i sent a check for $100 and told her to get something she has been wanting to buy. well, that backfired because near Christmas i received a package from her with several items that must have taken up the whole hundred! i called and thanked her and said she should have spent the money on herself and she said she wanted to get me something for Christmas. I’m wondering if my well meaning gesture kind of made her feel worse about her situation. Needless to say i won’t be repeating that gesture plus the gifts she sent me I’m sorry to say weren’t gifts i would have bought for myself.