Saving for Christmas All Year Long

Financial stress is one of the things I don’t worry about when it comes to the holidays because I find creative ways to save for gifts throughout the year and you can too!  Here are a few of the methods I personally use with success:

• DISNEY MOVIE REWARDS — earn freebies by entering codes from Disney Movies and more.  Even if you don’t purchase movies, this program is worth signing up for because there are plenty of ways to earn free points codes.  I post them here on Mommies with Cents so be sure to follow me!  Just this year I earned enough points to cash in for  $20 gift card to The Disney Store (I bought 2 pairs of pajamas, got free shipping and still had a couple of bucks left over!), and a Disney Princess beach towel.  I still have quite a few points left that I didn’t spend and will just save for next time.
• HUGGIES REWARD POINTS — again, even if you don’t purchase diapers or wipes, this program is worth signing up for even just for the free points which I’ll post here on the blog when availalbe.  You can cash them in for toys, gift cards and more!
• PAMPERS GIFTS TO GROW — This program is similar to Huggies Rewards points.  Sign up here to start and get 100 free bonus points.  I recently cashed out my points for $30 in Starbucks gift cards!
• INBOX DOLLARS — Easily earn $30 or more in a few weeks just by clicking through emails.  Check out this post for a more in depth explanation of how Inbox Dollars works.
• SWAGBUCKS– use Swagbucks in place of Google or other search engine to earn points good towards prizes, cash via paypal or gift cards. It’s super easy to use, especially if you download the tool bar. There are additional ways to earn Swag Bucks if you’d like to earn them at a faster pace.
• EBATES-Using Ebates for year round purchases is also a good way to build up a little holiday shopping fund. They pay out 4 times per year and you can set aside the cash back that you earned as a holiday fund. With thousands of merchants, you should be using Ebates for all of your online shopping- it’s like free money!
• EXTRABUX —  Sign up for Extrabux and receive $5 just for joining.  They offer up to 30% cash back on purchases from over 2,000 online retailers.  Refer friends and receive a bonus of $5 for every friend that joins PLUS 5% of their cash back purchases!  This is a great way to put a few extra bucks in your pocket while helping friends and family save money too!
• PAID SURVEYS– a few of my favorites are MyPoints, Inbox Dollars and Pinecone Research. You’ll find a wide selection of opportunities in our paid survey category.
• USE COUPONS– I like to think of using coupons as saving cash to use towards something else. Check out our extensive list of coupon resources.
• CASH BACK– Check out this post on how to get the most cash back on all of your online purchases
• SHOP YEAR ROUND — Make it a habit to check out the clearance section of stores when you are out shopping for other things.  The trick to this is having a place to store the gifts and remembering what you bought, and for who!  Make a spreadsheet if you need help keeping track.
• SHOP YEAR ROUND AT DAILY DEAL SITES — You can score some really sweet deals at sites like Plum District, Zulily and Mamapedia, especially if you think ahead.  While some deals may not normally catch your eye as something you need or want, if you are thinking ahead for gift purchases you can potentially save a bundle!  I got several gifts this way this year.  If you are purchasing a voucher to gift directly to the recipient, be careful of the expiration dates — Just make sure to check the fine print. Many of the deals you can use the voucher to purchase a gift and then just save it until you need it.  Most of these places also offer a sign up bonus to save $5-$10 off your first purchase
• Keep Your Eye Out for FREEBIES — You’ll often find freebies suitable for gift giving like this one:  
  
• GROOVEBOOK — Get 100 free 4×6 prints in a cool book for only $2.99 shipping. Your first month’s shipping and processing is completely FREE with promo code DUCE1. Try it and see how you like it!  These make great stocking stuffers or gifts for grandparents, teachers etc.

How do you earn extra cash for the holidays throughout the year? I’d love to hear creative ways to earn a little extra income that can be put towards holiday gifts. Share by leaving a comment!!