Almost Like Cash - A Sears Gift Card for the College Bound Kid

She is tucking away money from her paycheck. She saves the babysitting money she is earning from her last days babysitting for neighborhood children before she goes off to college in just a few weeks to start her quest for a degree in Criminal Justice. She's fully prepared to live on Ramen Noodles and canned spaghetti and she's already the coupon-queen, finding coupons in the local paper for everything from granola bars to a dinner for two at the local restaurant.

She's my daughter and she's a college-bound student.

I can smile because she's mine and I can laugh because I've told her she isn't going to be hurting for money that badly! She's got much of what she needs already, a food account for the cafeteria and of course... Mom and Dad standing by to help in a pinch!

We're checking out the last things we need at Sears CampusReady to finalize the dorm room and for those of us that need a few hints, you can check out the CampusReady on Facebook application for your room design and matching up with a roommate just to name a couple. (If you don't know what Facebook is, ask your kids. Everyone under 25 knows what it is and they can enlighten you.)

For a easy gift that keeps giving check out the reloadable gift cards you can purchase in-store. Used at both Kmart and Sears, that pretty covers anything your child could need from a last minute blanket, to a hoodie sweatshirt, Pop-Tarts, a laptop computer or shampoo. The parent can load funds onto the card online or in store and the student has an emergency stash of 'almost cash' to use for all those last minute items.