Get the Most Out of Your Holiday Shopping

Whenever I buy a high-priced item I always comparison shop and I try to get the best deal I can for the money. This is a concept I am also applying to my holiday gift buying. One way I like to boost savings is by using online rewards programs. There are many programs like this available but I will only mention the two that I have personally used and find reputable.

The first program I recommend is Microsoft Live Search Cashback (http://search.live.com/cashback). I have only recently started to use this program but I am impressed with how easy it is. Basically, you log into your cashback account and use the links there to shop online. After your purchase, you will get an email letting you know how much you earned in that transaction. It takes 60 days before your cashback clears and you can withdraw the money.

There are literally 100s of stores you can shop from and some offer a substantial percentage in cashback. For example, Barnes & Noble and drugstore.com are both offering 10% at the moment. You can earn a huge percentage back with eBay (I earned 25%, I've heard of people getting up to 30%) but there is kind of a trick to doing it. Instead of going into your cashback account, search the regular live.com search box for something like a wii or ps3. You should see a sponsored ad for eBay. When you click it there should be a green banner on the eBay site that says "Microsoft Cashback." I get too detailed about it here, but just know that you'll have to pay using PayPal and win a "buy it now" auction. If you make sure to buy from a reputable and honest seller you can easily get a better deal using cashback than you are likely to get in any store.

The other program I recommend is MyPoints (http://www.mypoints.com). MyPoints is similar to Live Search Cashback in the way you shop through the site. You log into MyPoints, find the retailer you want to shop with, then use the link at MyPoints to reach the store. One difference between the two programs is that MyPoints does not offer cashback. You earn points that are then redeemed for gift cards and gift certificates. The great thing about MyPoints is that you can earn points without buying anything. If you subscribe to BonusMail you get points just for clicking a link in an email. You can also choose to do surveys and sign up for sites to get points.

Personally, I prefer the versatility of cash over gift card redemptions so when I'm actually shopping, I go for Live Search Cashback first. However, you may want to shop with MyPoints if you want to redeem faster. In my experience, points are credited and redemptions are processed quickly; cashback takes a minimum of 60 days to get to you.

You have to be at least 18 years old for these programs. You will also have to reside in the US (or Canada for MyPoints) to be eligible to participate. These are just a few guidelines, be sure to read the terms of each site to find out more.