PORTLAND, Ore. -- Forget the wish list. Shoppers may be giving the gift of necessity this holiday season, buying up cards for gas, groceries and even utilities to help friends and family through lean times.

The gift card has become ubiquitous during the holidays, providing an easy way for shoppers to make sure recipients get exactly what they want. But as job cuts grow, portfolios shrink and economic problems deepen, many people may just want help getting by.

''What we are finding in general is that practical gifts are in this year,'' said Ellen Davis, spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation. ``So there's no dispute that will trickle into the gift card market.''

Gift cards are once again expected to be the most-requested present for the season, the trade group said this week, even as total spending on them is expected to slip this year as shoppers limit how much they spend. People began using gift cards more on necessities last year, Davis said, a trend expected to intensify this year.

One of the most popular uses for gift cards is to pay for gas, Davis said. And that is likely to grow, at gas stations, grocers, discounters, wholesalers and others retail outlets that sell gasoline.

GROCERIES

Some grocers, like Safeway and Kroger, have promotions that offer gas saving incentives to the buyer who purchases the gift card -- so the giver gets something as well.

And some utilities say they are expecting that their gift cards and certificates, typically popular among aid organizations and as property manager-to-client gifts, will become more common for everyday consumers as people struggle to pay for heat or electricity.

While it's too early to track sales for the season, supermarkets, discounters and other retailers who sell life's necessities are still expecting strong gift cards sales amid the otherwise bleak season.

''We are seeing increased interest this year in gift cards as gifts,'' said Haley Meyer, spokeswoman for grocery chain Supervalu. ``I think a big part of that is the economy, especially since every day brings another round of news stories about the tough economy.''

FEWER COMPANIES

Publixsaid it has seen corporate orders for gift cards drop as many employers scale back the number of cards they give as gifts to employees and clients. But it hopes consumers consider them as gifts during the tough times.

Another increasingly popular option is network cards, which have a prepaid cash balance and can be used nearly anywhere credit cards can.

Prepaid cards were a $155 billion market in 2007, according to David Robertson, who follows the credit card industry as publisher of The Nilson Report, a trade publication for the consumer-payment industry. Network cards represent 4 percent of the market.

Robertson said there has been a growing movement away from store-specific cards and toward network cards.

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