7 Uncommon Ways to Save for the Holidays

Stop Spending for Two Months If you stop spending, you'll be able to save money for the holiday season. Bills and other household expenses might make it seem impossible, but it's not.Danielle Marquis, adjunct professor of personal finance at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo., suggests a compromise. "Institute two 'months of nothing' into your year, and divert all the money you save directly into a savings account titled 'Holidays,'" she says."When I say a 'month of nothing,' I mean you don't spend money on anything that isn't an absolute necessity. You pack your lunch for work and road trips, bring reusable water bottles to work instead of buying something from a vending machine and meet up for potlucks at friends' houses," Marquis says.Pick any two months throughout the year to put this idea into practice. Marquis says January is easier for her, because she commits to a self-imposed detox after the excess of the holidays; and June is easier too, because it is her birthday month."People tend to do nice things for me to celebrate, so it's easier to do without," she says.

Get Rewards Points for Recycling Make the most of your old electronics by using a rewards-through-recycling program and save money. Through these eco-friendly programs, like MaxBack.com or RecycleBank.com, you exchange used cell phones, MP3 players, cameras and GPS navigation units for points toward the purchase of other items, including gift cards. At MaxBack, you can even donate your points to schools and nonprofits."It's important for us to reuse and recycle," says Sean Michaels, co-president of MaxBack.The Environmental Protection Agency says old electronics generate about 3 million tons of waste each year, or almost 2 percent of the total amount of trash. About 2 million tons of the electronic trash ends up in landfills.

Gift Your Skills

Are you good at fixing things? Do you cook? Can you build a kitchen cabinet?

A good way to give a great holiday present without spending much is by donating your skills as gifts. "Wrap your skills in a thoughtful way as an alternative to buying your friends another gift card," says Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert and author of "Psych Yourself Rich."

She says if you're a great designer, offer to redecorate a room in your friend's house for free. A software whiz? Build a website for a friend or sketch out a plan for a new blog. A photographer? Offer a photography lesson or take and frame some portraits of friends or family, Torabi says.

These are useful and meaningful gifts that can not only save money, but also help your family and friends stretch their dollars.

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