As I'm a Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) shareholder (a very very minor one), I get an annual "bonus" -- a special-edition Starbucks gift card with a little less than $4.00 in value, good for one grande almond latte (or thereabouts). The gift cards are pretty, and seem special, so when I have a little cash in my bank account and get the urge I'll refill it -- then, when I'm totally out of cash and dying for a sticky-sweet cup of milky caffeine, presto! Starbucks.

My friend takes it to a whole new level. She and her husband are both self-employed, and they've set a strict budget that ensures they'll live within their monthly invoices. So she buys a Starbucks card every week or so, on Monday when her spending budget for the week begins anew. That way, if she spends all her cash by Thursday? She can still hang out with me and our boys at Starbucks on Friday afternoon.

It's a hedge against brokeness.

A report in the AP indicates that 12% of all sales at Starbucks are through these refillable gift cards -- that's one in eight lattes. There are many theories about why the cards are so popular, but I'd just like to stake my claim on the concept that buying gift cards ensures that you'll still be able to buy coffee and 'Top Pot' chocolate doughnuts when you've spent all your money!