You now know how to save money on your holiday gifts and already have ideas about what those gifts should be. What do you do, though, when you’ve pared down your list as much as possible and there still just isn’t enough in your budget to go around? You may think your only options are to either get deeper into debt or simply not give gifts at all. Those are not your only options. In fact, there are ways to get your holiday gifts for free that you may not be utilizing.
Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.
[bctt tweet=”Find out how you can get your holiday gifts for free! #freeholidaygifts”]
Ways to Get Free Gifts
Freecycle.org
This is a great way to get items and supplies absolutely free. Join the Freecycle group in your area and you will be able to browse items and materials that people want to get rid of. Some of these items can make fantastic gifts. I have seen craft supplies, grills, televisions, and so much more. All of these items are completely free of charge you simply have to pick them up.
Photo Gifts
Drug stores like Walgreens and CVS offer free photo gifts throughout the year. These can range from free 8×10 photos that you could frame to give as gifts to free photo books that you can design and give as-is. If you choose to pick them up in the store you won’t even pay for shipping making these 100% free.
Re-gifting
We will expand on this later in the series but it is important to know that it is an option. I will help you learn how to get over the stigma surrounding the idea of re-gifting. I will also give you the three rules for re-gifting with class.
Free Money and Gift Cards
With Swagbucks you earn points that can be spent to purchase gift cards through their site. These gift cards can in turn be given as gifts (such as an ITunes gift card) or used to purchase gifts online using gift cards for sites like Amazon. You can earn points in a multitude of ways. Completing surveys, watching videos, searching the web, and answering daily polls are just a few of the ways you can earn points.
MPoints
This is another great way to earn points towards gift cards by using the apps on your phone that you already use. For instance, I earn a ton of my points through the Weather Channel app because I use it daily. You can also earn points through games (such as Family Feud and Scramble with Friends) and through news apps. The one caveat is that it does take a lot more points than Swagbucks to purchase a gift card or merchandise, however, if you are using the app anyway you might as well cash in on the freebies you can get.
You have probably heard of Ebates but if you haven’t signed up yet, you are missing out. The way it works is that you earn a percentage back on all of your online purchases when you purchase through Ebates. If you don’t think you’ll remember to start your shopping trip there (I almost never remember), add their handy little button to your browser. Once you do, it will actually alert you when you are shopping on a site eligible for cash back. With amounts ranging typically from 1-8% cash back, you won’t get rich with this but if you are already shopping online it is worth it to sign up. I don’t shop online much and I still manage to earn around $100 a year just to give you a reference point.
Walgreens Points
If you have a Walgreens in your area, you definitely want to start shopping there right away. They have an excellent rewards card that is totally free and allows you to earn points that translate into free cash to spend in the store. You earn points any time you fill a prescription or buy certain sale items. They have also recently changed their earning system so you are also earning points for every dollar you spend. Each receipt you receive will have your total balance along with listing any available reward amount you have to spend. The best part is that unlike some other stores, your points don’t expire in a week so you can continue to earn throughout the year.
Don’t get tricked into believing debt is your only solution to paying for the holidays when your budget is small. Use these resources and you can get through the holiday season without the stress and remorse later. To achieve ultimate savings, combine these tips to get your holiday gifts for free with my tips for saving on your holiday gift options.
See where I’m linking up!
Missed the introduction to this series? Find out more about #write31days
**