Pre-Purchase Gift Cards Through AAA: A Smart Way Parents Save Every Day

Article overview

Here’s a quick look at how your AAA membership helps you save on gifts for every child in your life, from your own kids to your nieces, nephews and godchildren.

• Newborn essentials: Save on diapers, formula and baby gear with discounted gift cards for places like Walgreens, CVS and Amazon.

• Toddler years: Offset the cost of new furniture and early learning tools with gift cards for Wayfair and Barnes & Noble.

• Growing kids: Keep up with their growth spurts by saving on clothes and sports gear with gift cards for retailers like Old Navy, Gap and Dick's Sporting Goods.

• Tweens and teens: Save on the latest tech, from laptops to gaming consoles, with discounted gift cards for Best Buy, GameStop and Xbox.

• Family time: Make memories for less with savings on family dinners and vacations using dining and Disney gift cards.

Why gift cards through AAA can help you save

Most people think of AAA as a roadside assistance service or an insurance company. But for families, a AAA Membership also offers a lesser-known perk that saves money year after year: the AAA Gift Card Center.

Using the Gift Card Center at an in-person branch, AAA Members can buy discounted gift cards for hundreds of popular retailers, restaurants and brands. By pre-purchasing gift cards at a discount for places you already frequent, you can save money on every transaction.

From newborn essentials to teen tech, here's how to use the AAA Gift Card Center at every stage of your child or grandchild’s life.

Newborn essentials: Saving on the basics

The newborn phase is equal parts magical and exhausting and expensive. Between diapers, formula, wipes and baby gear, the costs stack up before you've even left the hospital.

This is where Walgreens and CVS gift cards come in handy. These pharmacy staples are lifesavers for late-night diaper runs and last-minute formula top-ups. Rather than paying full price in a pinch, stock up on discounted gift cards through the AAA Gift Card Center by purchasing gift cards at your local AAA branch office ahead of time. You'll thank yourself at 2 a.m. when you're not stressing about the receipt.

Amazon gift cards are another smart buy for new parents. Amazon is one of the most convenient ways to shop for home safety and security products—baby monitors, outlet covers, baby gates, cabinet locks and more. Purchasing *discounted Amazon gift cards through AAA means you're effectively getting a discount on everything from a video monitor to a full nursery setup.

And if you’re heading to a baby shower, these discounted gift cards make fantastic presents.

*Specific discount is region-dependent

Toddler years: Furniture and early learning

Toddlers grow at a startling pace and so do their needs. The crib that worked perfectly for six months suddenly needs to be replaced by a toddler bed, then a twin, then before you know it a full or bunk bed for a shared room.

Wayfair gift cards purchased through the AAA Gift Card Center help offset those furniture costs at every transition. Whether you're upgrading from a crib to a toddler bed or outfitting a shared room with a trundle or bunk bed setup, Wayfair's wide selection and competitive pricing make it a go-to for family furniture. Saving a few percent on each purchase might not sound like much, but over multiple furniture upgrades across multiple years, it really adds up.

For early learning, Barnes & Noble gift cards are a great pick. From board books for babies to chapter books for older kids, Barnes & Noble carries educational resources for every reading level. Toddler gift cards for a bookstore might not sound flashy, but books are one of the best investments you can make in a child's development and buying them with discounted gift cards makes it even easier to keep the bookshelf stocked.

Fast-growing kids: Clothes and sports gear

Elementary school-aged kids have a talent for outgrowing everything they own, seemingly overnight. Clothes that fit in September barely make it to January. Shoes last a season if you're lucky.

Using retail gift cards through AAA—whether for The Children’s Place, Old Navy, Gap or similar clothing stores— is a smart way to save while staying ahead of the clothing rotation. Since you're going to buy new clothes regardless, it’s a nice way to save a little extra for purchases you're already going to make.

As kids get older and start joining sports teams, the gear costs can catch parents off guard. Cleats, helmets, pads, rackets and athletic wear all carry premium price tags. Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards, available at local AAA branches' gift card center, let families gear up for youth sports seasons at a reduced cost. Whether it's soccer, baseball, basketball or gymnastics, Dick's has the equipment plus your AAA Membership helps stretch the budget further.

Tweens and teens: Tech and gaming

The tween and teen years bring a new category of expenses: technology. Laptops for school, headphones, tablets, gaming consoles. The list grows every year.

Best Buy gift cards from AAA are a practical way to save on electronics purchases. Back-to-school season, birthdays and the holidays all tend to trigger tech upgrades and having discounted Best Buy gift cards on hand means you're never caught paying full retail price.

For kids who love gaming, GameStop and Xbox gift cards are among the most popular gift card ideas for kids in this age group. Xbox gift cards in particular are incredibly flexible since they can be used for game downloads, subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass and in-game purchases. Parents can load up on these gift cards through AAA and give kids a set amount to manage, which also teaches budgeting along the way.

Family time: Dining and vacation

Between school pickups, practices and everything else on a family's plate, busy weeknights call for easy dinner solutions. With Dining Deals from AAA, you can save up to 40% at over 400 restaurant brands nationwide when you purchase a digital gift card through AAA. This includes casual favorites such as Subway and Wendys, to weekend dinner spots like Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse and more.

For bigger family experiences, Disney gift cards are a standout option. Whether you're planning a trip to a Disney theme park or simply shopping for Disney merchandise, these gift cards are endlessly flexible. Disney vacations are a significant investment and every bit of savings helps. Purchasing discounted Disney gift cards through the AAA Gift Card Center at your local AAA branch is one of the most effective ways to help reduce the overall cost of a family trip.

Make your AAA Membership work harder for your family

Raising kids is one of life's greatest experiences and can be one of its biggest financial commitments. Gift cards through the AAA Gift Card Center can make it easier to save consistently on the purchases you were already going to make.