The holidays are a time for giving. But to me, they're a time for saving too. Restaurants try to entice people into purchasing gift cards for their friends by giving the buyer a little something extra. When I worked near Il Fornaio, I'd eat there once a week (or more). I figured that at $5 a visit times 52 weeks, I'd spend $260 there per year. I purchased $200 in gift cards each year in December for myself, got an extra $40 in bonus money as part of their holiday promotion, and saved a little money.

Just last week, I went to Selland's Market Cafe to purchase what I figured I'd spend at Sellands, Ella & The Kitchen over the next year. It was a lot of money to spend all at one time, but I saved nearly 20 percent by spending the money now. (If you got that type of return on your savings account or the stock market, you'd be thrilled.)

This past weekend, I was shopping at Costco and noticed that they had a full compliment of restaurant gift cards available at a discount, including:

$70 for $100

• Ten 22
• The Firehouse

$75 for $100

• Paesanos
• Pronto
• Mangia

$40 for $50

• Dos Coyotes
• Jamba Juice