Furnishing Your New Home in the U.S.: How to Save Money with Gift Cards from Major Retailers

Moving day has finally arrived. You signed the lease, picked up the keys, and opened the door to your new home in the United States. It’s an exciting milestone, but reality quickly sets in: the house is completely empty.

Unlike many countries where rental properties often come with built-in cabinets or basic furnishings, homes in the U.S. are typically delivered with little more than the major kitchen appliances.

From a mattress and coffee maker to curtains, dishes, and storage solutions, furnishing a home from scratch requires a significant amount of cash flow—and if you’re converting from another currency, every dollar matters.

This is where the American lifestyle meets smart financial planning. For many U.S. residents, the most effective way to furnish a home isn’t simply swiping a credit card at checkout—it’s knowing how to take advantage of the Gift Card market.

Below, we’ll explain how this strategy works and how you can use it to save money on purchases you already need to make.

What Are Gift Cards, and Why Are They a Smart Savings Strategy?

In Brazil, gift cards are often seen as a last-minute gift option for special occasions. In the United States, however, gift card culture is quite different. They function almost like a digital currency and play an important role in the financial planning of savvy consumers looking to maximize their budgets.

How Does It Work in Practice?

A Gift Card is simply a physical or digital card loaded with a specific dollar amount for a particular retailer.

The real advantage for someone furnishing a home isn’t just convenience—it’s the indirect savings. When you purchase a Gift Card through a partner ecosystem such as the Inter app, you can earn a percentage of that money back directly into your account through cashback or purchase the card at a discounted rate.

For example, if you know you’re about to spend $1,000 at a major retailer on furniture and household essentials, buying $1,000 worth of Gift Cards before checking out could put anywhere from $50 to $100 back in your account right away. In other words, you’re saving money on purchases you were already planning to make.

You may also like: What Is a Gift Card? How It Works, Benefits, and Where to Buy

Your Retail Shopping Roadmap: Where to Focus Your Purchases

For anyone furnishing a new home, the American retail landscape offers major chains where you can find almost everything you need in one place. Here’s where to focus your Gift Card strategy:

Target and Walmart: From Everyday Essentials to Home Décor

For kitchenware, bedding, bath essentials, small appliances (such as blenders and toasters), and organizational products, Target and Walmart should be at the top of your list.

Target, in particular, is known for its stylish exclusive home décor collections that combine great design with affordable prices. Using Gift Cards at these stores can easily cover nearly 70% of your initial household setup needs.

Amazon and Home Depot: Furniture and Home Improvement Essentials

If your new home needs TV mounts, curtains, light fixtures, or minor upgrades, Home Depot is the ultimate destination for the American do-it-yourself lifestyle.

Amazon, meanwhile, needs no introduction. It’s likely where you’ll order your bed, mattress, and ready-to-assemble furniture with delivery straight to your doorstep. Having Gift Cards already loaded into your account on these platforms helps streamline the purchasing process while ensuring you receive the savings upfront.

Maximizing Your Savings: The Smart Shopper’s Formula

If you want to furnish your home like a true local, the secret is stacking savings opportunities. Here’s how:

Download the store’s loyalty apps: Before shopping, install the retailer’s app (such as Target Circle or the Walmart App) and activate the free weekly coupons and offers available.

Purchase Gift Cards with Cashback: Access Inter Shop through your Global Account, estimate how much you plan to spend, and purchase Gift Cards for your chosen retailers to earn instant cashback in U.S. dollars.

Complete Your Purchase: At the register or during online checkout, apply the store coupons and use your Gift Card code as your payment method.

Build Your Home with Financial Confidence

Furnishing a new home in the United States is the realization of a dream, and watching that space gradually reflect your personality is a unique lifestyle experience.

But true peace of mind comes from knowing you’ve made smart financial decisions along the way. By using the Gift Card strategy through the Inter app and managing your funds with the security of your Global Account, you can turn moving expenses into opportunities to invest in your future.