Shopping

Use cash. When they charge purchases, consumers tend to spend 30 percent more than if they use cash, according to Robert McKinley, founder and chief executive officer of the payment-card research firm CardWeb.com. “Cash makes people think twice or buy sale items,” he says. If you prefer credit cards, use the one with the lowest interest rate. Last year the most popular method of buying gifts was by debit or check card, according to the National Retail Federation. But some banks deduct anywhere from 10 cents to $1.50 from your checking account every time you make a purchase with a debit card (check with your bank to find out if it charges a fee), so you might want to avoid using that card.

Get paid to spend. The online-coupon site www.fatwallet.com offers cash back when you make purchases with partnered vendors through its website. Search for coupons and promotions at your favorite retailers and, if they’re FatWallet partners, sign up to receive cash rebates. For example, shop Target through FatWallet and earn 4.4 percent cash back. Rebates build up in your FatWallet account, and when you’re ready to cash in, request a check (minimum of $10) or get cash back via PayPal.

Get tech for less. Consumer electronics and computers top many a wish list. Spending on such items more than doubled last holiday season, according to consumer research conducted by Goldman Sachs, Nielsen/NetRatings, and Harris Interactive. But technology doesn’t come cheap, so:

Check out sites like www.techbargains.com for deals, says Dory Devlin, a technology adviser for Yahoo! Tech.

Read retailers’ 90-day return policies on electronics. Some stores charge a 15 percent restocking fee (basically, a return penalty), while others, such as Wal-Mart, don’t.

Consider buying a model from last year. If you’re willing to settle for fewer bells and whistles, this can be a solid — and the only economically viable — option.

Buying Gifts

Regift with a twist. You could cash in unwanted gift cards to buy presents for others, but what to do if your gift card is from Victoria’s Secret and your recipient is named Jeff? Exchange it for another at www.swapagift.com. For a $4 fee, trade yours in for one from another retailer, then use the new card to buy a gift for your recipient. You can also sell gift cards on the site for cash. Another site, www.zunafish.com, allows you to swap CDs, DVDs, and video games with others for $1 per trade plus postage.

Buy one big family gift. Instead of spending a bundle on lots of small gifts, save your money for a trip later in the year, says Janet Bodnar, author of Raising Money Smart Kids (Kaplan Business, $18, www.amazon.com). “Put a map or a travel brochure in your kids’ stockings,” she says, plus give an inexpensive gift they can use once they get there — pail and shovel or flip-flops for the beach, for example — to build excitement. And let them help plan the vacation itinerary. “This is a way,” says Bodnar, “for them to feel involved.”

Give a first-class gift. You don’t have the frequent-flier miles to send your parents or best friend on a first-class trip, but you might have enough to bump up the class level on a leg or two of a journey they plan to take in the next few months. A one-way upgrade typically requires 15,000 miles, so at about a penny per frequent-flier mile, you’ve given a gift worth $150 that you didn’t spend money to buy. Randy Petersen, founder of the frequent-flier site FlyerTalk.com, suggests:

Call the airline at least 21 days in advance of the departure date to avoid fees and to increase the chances of upgrade availability.

Ask for your miles to be applied to their tickets, which must be issued before the upgrades can be processed.

Don’t transfer miles from your account to theirs or you will be charged transfer and processing fees (which start at $80 on American Airlines and $85 on United Airlines). Check the policies with your airline.

Consider a group gift. Buying presents for your brother’s family can be difficult, not to mention pricey. Gift memberships to a local museum or zoo can cost the same as two or three individual gifts. For example, the San Diego Museum of Art offers an annual “Household” membership for $75, which includes four guest passes and a 10 percent store discount. That beats the onetime regular cost of $10 per adult and $4 per child. The Bronx Zoo costs a family of five $66 for one visit. But for $120, the zoo offers an annual membership that includes four parking passes (worth $8 each) and a 10 percent store and restaurant discount. Bonus: Part of that price may be tax-deductible. To find a zoo or a museum near your gift recipient, consult www.museumspot.com.