Five Best Gift Cards for Christmas

During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you may find yourself running out of time to find personalized gifts for everyone on your list this year. Instead of adding stress and panic to your already overflowing plate, simplify your life and give your friends, family and coworkers a gift they're sure to enjoy: a gift card. Use this guide to figure out what gift cards are best suited to your Christmas gift giving needs.

5. Target - A store that has a little bit of everything. Target gift cards can be used both in-store and over the Internet, and your favorite friend or relative can pick anything from home furnishings to groceries as a way to use your gift. As you buy your own supplies for the holidays, chances are that a trip to Target will be on your list: simply add a few Target gift cards to your cart as you're waiting to check out to satisfy your Christmas gift giving needs.

4. American Airlines - This Christmas season, give the gift that travels! Do you have an old college friend that you haven't seen in years? How about a niece who is making plans for Spring Break? Give them an American Airlines gift card, and help offset the cost of their travel. Even though the cost of a ticket may be more than you want to spend as you go through your Christmas gift giving list, subsidizing a portion of travel can be a gift that your loved one appreciates both during their trip and long after. If American does not fly to where your loved one lives, airline gift cards are also available from carriers including Southwest, and USAir.