An unused gift card's probably lurking in your kitchen drawer, under your kid's bed or in the bottom of your purse.

Everyone from chic clothiers and trendy restaurants to discount stores and movie theaters relentlessly promote them as a more personal and thoughtful present than cash.

Yet an astounding number are never redeemed. They're lost; they expire; or they tempt us into making budget-busting purchases far beyond the value of the card.

That's why everyone needs a savvy plan to make the most of their gift cards, even if that means selling or regifting them. These smart moves are a good place to start.

Smart Move 1. Keep track of your cards.

The biggest reason gift cards never get used is that they're gone, forgotten or hard to find, or stuffed in half-a-dozen different drawers around the house.

Our advice: Keep gift cards in one place.

Try corralling all of your household's gift cards into an envelope that you stash with your unpaid bills.

Identify which cards belong to different members of your family by hanging onto the holder they came in, marking them with masking-tape labels, or keeping them in separate envelopes.

If you lose a gift card, ask the person who gave it to you for the receipt. If they have it, the retailer can usually track the purchase and replace the card if it wasn't found and used.

Smart Move 2. Take them with you.

When you head out for a day of shopping grab the envelope.

The 2006 American Express Gift Card survey found that 28% of consumers have an unspent gift card. We've spoken to brides with five or more unredeemed gift cards a year after their weddings.

Why the delay?

They were waiting for a shopping trip (32%), the "perfect item" to buy (28%) or a sale (18%).

In our experience, the longer a gift card sits around, the greater the chance it won't get used, or will get lost.

No wonder Best Buy recorded a $43 million profit from gift cards that were two or more years old but never used.

Smart Move 3. Watch out for expiration dates and fees.

Most gift cards from stores no longer impose expiration dates or service fees that whittle away at the balance if they're not spent within six months or a year.

Gift cards bearing the logos of the major credit card companies definitely do.

Since every bank that issues those cards imposes its own unique set of rules and fees, it's impossible to know what the charges might be by just looking at one.

For example, you'll often find a "Valid thru" date on Visa and MasterCard gift cards. The banks say that's because purchases are processed through credit card systems that require an expiration date.

But if the cards aren't fully spent before then, several things can happen.

The worst ones truly expire, wiping out any remaining balance. Bank of America Visa Gift Cards can become worthless in as little as nine months from the time they're purchased.

More generous cards don't take away your money, but require you to request a replacement card. Some will send a new one for free. Others charge anywhere from $5.95 to $10.

Monthly maintenance fees are common as well.

We've seen Visa gift cards that begin charging $2.50 to $3.50 a month just half-a-year after they've been purchased. The American Express Gift Card starts charging $2 a month a year from the purchase date.

If you have one of these gift cards you've got to know about all of this. Call the customer service number on the back of the card and ask about the expiration date and fees. Or go online to the Web site for your particular card and click on "Terms & Conditions." All of the bad stuff will be in there.

Smart move 4. Be a smart gift card shopper.

We think the most satisfying way to spend a gift card is to treat yourself to something you wouldn't typically buy for yourself.

But a National Retail Federation survey found that half of shoppers redeeming gift cards they received during the 2006 holiday season spent more than the value of the card.

Your treat will be far less enjoyable if you buy something that costs far more than the value of your gift card, especially if the extra cost adds to the balance on your next credit card bill.

Avoid that by setting a firm -- and modest -- limit on how much additional money you'll spend before you go shopping. For most gift cards, it shouldn't be more than $5 or $10.

Smart Move 5. Don't use them and lose them.

Put any card with a balance, no matter how small, back in your envelope.

If you bought a sweater and the total came to $46.56, would you hand over a $50 bill and tell the cashier to keep the change?

We didn't think so.

With a good system to save your cards you can put the remainder to good use the next time you go to that store.

Even if the card is zeroed-out, ask the cashier if you'll need it to make an exchange or return. Some stores will only put money back on the original gift card.

Smart Move 6. Regift or sell cards you don't want.

Do you have a gift card you're not all that excited about because you don't shop at that store or know you'll have to spend too much of your own cash to get anything good?

Buy yourself out and regift it.

You heard us. If it's for $20, give yourself $20 cash to spend where you please and then give the gift card to someone you know who might actually enjoy it.

Don't feel bad about this. You return gifts all the time because they don't fit, aren't the right color, or fail to match your style or tastes.

If that's not an option, sell or swap the card at eBay or swapgift.com. You won't get face value, but you'll still get some enjoyment from your present.

Isn't that the point?

By Darci Smith

Interest.com Contributing Editor

Have a question about your finances? Ask us at editors@interest.com