Thankfully, a lot more stores today are selling gift cards that can be used online as well as at your local brick & mortar store. CVS, for example, carries gift cards for dozens of different companies, including Amazon. All you need to do is take the gift card to the cash register and the clerk will activate the card once you pay for it. You can usually find Amazon gift cards at CVS for the values $25 or $50.

If you don't have a CVS pharmacy near you, there are several other…