Ways to Earn Free Gift Cards

Every year the day after Christmas we tell ourselves we are going to do things different next year. The current recession has everyone wondering how they are going to afford necessities not to mention gifts. The sales we have been accustom to in the past are not longer happening. Stores are ordering less inventory so they are not stuck come the end of the season. Here are a few quick ideas that do not cost much if anything and will provide you with the means to give gifts next Christmas.

One place to start is at your local bank or credit union, to see if they offer a Christmas club account. These clubs are for saving all year for the next holiday, by depositing money weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. In fact many will offer direct deposit straight from your pay check. The money gains interest while it is in the account, and depending on the conditions it is either released through a check or transferred into another account around November. It arrives just in time for you to begin your shopping. Using this club and depositing as little as ten dollars a month will net you $110.00 plus some interest in Nov. The best part is you will never miss the ten dollars.

Make sure to check with your bank about rewards programs for using your check card or credit card. Some banks have a point system that for every dollar you spend you are given points. These points can be redeemed for gifts or gift cards to place that you normally shop. Some of the gift cards available are Target, T.J. Maxx and Subway. If you join this program use your card for every possible purchase, so you get the max number of points. Do not over spend to get more points, since that is defeating the purpose. The goal is to gain as many points as possible for shopping you normally do.

Once you decide how you are going to save for the holidays stick to your plan. Deposit money in the Christmas club but do not take withdrawals. Once the money is in there it stays in there. Save all your points from groups that you join making sure to cash out in the fall. Good Luck saving for the holidays it is not as hard as it seems.