Free or Nearly Free Holiday Gifts and Money

Amy Hannold,

247Moms.com Frugal Living Editor

Where can you find or earn holiday gifts, and more:

Cash 4 Books: Cash4Books.net offers you the opportunity to sell your books to them, and receive cash. Enter the ISBN number of the books you have, and you’re given an offer for the books they want to buy. A pre-paid shipping label is provided to you. Payment is sent to you once they receive the books.

Swagbucks: Swagbucks.com is the search engine that rewards you! Begin your internet search at Swagbucks.com, and you will be intermittently rewarded with “Swagbucks”. Contests, gift cards and merchandise are the rewards. You can also earn “Swagbucks” with purchases at participating retailers.

Find Your Unclaimed Money or Property: Unclaimed.org is the free search for money being held for you by your state revenue department. Examples of unclaimed property are uncashed checks (from companies you’ve done business with), safe deposit box contents, etc.

Swap Your Dvds, Cds and Books! Paperbackswap.com, Swapadvd.com, and swapacd.com are websites to exchange the items you have, for items you want. Take a look; perhaps a golden oldie media item of someone on your gift list is available, for less than retail. It’s yours for the the mere process of sending someone something you no longer use. If you don’t have items to swap, but want to find a particular item, you can also buy credits. Mailing of items is done via media mail. Their automated system keeps you informed of mailing status and when your “wish list” items have been listed by another member.

Buy Giftcards, Treat yourself! Retailers, restaurants, and other businesses encourage the sale of their gift cards with promotions such as “Buy $25, get $5 For You”. Grocery stores which sell gift cards, often offer a bonus of a discount off your next grocery order when you buy gift cards from them. Keep your eyes and ears out!

Coinstar: At Coinstar.com you can read about their free coin counting offer. They’ll count your change (for free) and credit a gift card or E-certificate from a participating retailer.

Credit Card Points: I don’t advocate spending on your credit card to earn points – but, if you hold a card which offers points for gift cards, do be sure to check your statement. (By the way, say “No, thank you” to the at-register offers for instant discounts when you apply for store cards. Those are high-interest, credit-report denting cards. Just the inquiries can reduce your credit score.)

Shopper Loyalty Rewards: Stores such as Borders, Kmart, and others offer points for purchases. Again, don’t purchase to earn points, but do get whatever FREE rewards you’re offered for your planned purchases. Retailers such as Kohls, offer $10 back for every $50 you spend. These offers can help you stretch your holiday budget when they’re accumulated sensibly. Be aware of the fine print and restrictions.

Wherever you’re headed to shop: Before you go, “follow” your favorite retailer on Twitter, check their website, and “like” them on Facebook for unadvertised deals. Iphone users: “Shop Savvy” is the comparison shopping app, “Compare Everywhere” for Android.