The season of giving isn't supposed to put you into debt. Save money by making better use of unwanted gifts. Good Housekeeping suggests throwing a regifting party with your friends. Trade gifts for items you'll put to better use.
"It's a wonderful way to get through these holiday seasons without spending a lot of cash," said Good Housekeeping Executive Editor Janet Siroto.
You can also make better use of all that loose change you've accumulated. Coinstar counts your change for free if you turn your coins into a gift card or e-certificate.
"They're sort of like one-stop shopping. Right there you can get a gift card from a favorite retailer and give it to the person you need to give a gift to," said Siroto.
Through December 6th, Coinstar will give you an extra $10 if you change $40 for a certificate. And finally you can buy gift cards at a discount at http://www.plasticjungle.com. The Web site also lets you buy, sell and trade gift cards you don't want for 85 percent of the balance.
Here's one other shopping tip: shop on the Web with Talbots, Williams-Sonoma and Nordstrom and get free gift wrapping. Just enter promo code: giftbox5.
