A few weeks back I was at dinner with a friend who started going through her wallet. She pulled out three gift cards for movie rentals (two for blockbuster, one for hollywood) and handed them to me saying she'll never use them.

One of the blockbuster ones had definately expired, it was just for a one free rental. The other blockbuster one says I have to go into a store to check the balance. How annoying. So I don't know if that one has anything on it. The hollywood one had $5.06

This past weekend a friend of mine and I decided to veg and watch a movie so I pulled out the hollywood gift card and said I had that bit covered. The movie we rented was a new release ($3.79) but was also on the return early get a dollar credit deal. I dropped it back off that night after we watched it.

So...my gift card now has a balance of $1.27, plus I should have a $1 credit at the store. Doesn't quite make a second free rental but it gets it pretty darn close. So long as I use it in the next 24 months that is.

Now I just have to happen to be by a Blockbuster when they aren't busy to check the balance on the other card. If there's nothing on it, I want to chuck it.