News

The number of gifts I'm giving this year is so small, my holiday shopping list is on a Post-it note. My cash-strapped friends were relieved to opt out of our annual gift exchange, and my family simplified giving last year. To save even more money, I've decided to try to purchase presents for the few names left on my list with points.

You probably have rewards kicking around that you can use this holiday season, too. To help get the most from the myriad points programs, register with a social commerce site such as Loyaltymatch.com. It lets you search for the items on your shopping list and "purchase" them with your points or miles instead of cash. It's perfect for times when what you want is not offered through your own loyalty program.

The site's also great for finding discounted items. Search the site, enter what you'd be willing to pay (less than retail, of course) and receive matches from other users willing to trade in their points to get you what you want and then collect the money.

One catch: Each transaction will cost you about $2. But it's a small price to pay to avoid holiday crowds.

Angela Self is one of the founders of the Smart Cookies money group. Read her weekly column on managing debt and saving money at the new globeinvestor.com.