How to find extra money for the holidays -- in your computer

Your computer can become a great money-saving and even money-generating tool -- and I'm not talking about those work from home scams that show up in your email in-box all the time.

In fact, I earn money for Christmas gifts all year round, just by adding in a couple minutes of my computer time each day!

Here are some simple and basic tips on how to find extra money for the holidays, just by using your computer.
How to find extra money for the holidays -- in your computer

Get paid to search with Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a search engine that will randomly reward users with points that convert into a ton of different rewards, including gift cards to Amazon, CVS, Lowe's, and even PayPal. You get 30 points just for signing up for a new account!

I use Swagbucks daily to search, including basic sites I visit all the time like Facebook, and last year I earned about $60 worth of Amazon gift cards, which came in handy around the holidays.

Sign up for Swagbucks here.

Earn referral money through social buying sites. You may think that everyone you know is using Groupon, but believe me, that's not the case -- and many social buying sites will give you credit to use on their great deals when you invite people to sign up through your individual referral link.

Here are some well-liked social media sites to share with the folks on your Facebook page or Twitter account:

Groupon -- Earn $10 in credit when someone you refer makes their first purchase.
Living Social -- Your friends get $5 towards their first purchase when they sign up through your link. And when they make that first buy, you'll get $5 in credit too.
Fancy.com -- Get $1 in shopping credit for each friend you invite, $5 bonus on every 10 invitations, and $10 in credit when any of your friends make a purchase within 60 days of signing up.
Plum District -- Lets you give $5 in credit when you send a referral link; when that referral makes their first purchase, you'll score $5 in credit too.

Even if you don't refer regularly, it's still a great idea to sign up for these sites yourself and watch for deals and promotions -- for example, last summer Groupon ran a referral promotion offering $30 in credit for each new signup after their first purchase.

I only referred three people -- but you can imagine how much buying power $90 worth of Groupons brought me!

Earn money writing about your passions. There are content websites out there that will pay you to write about the things you talk about with your friends all the time anyway.

My first paid writing gig online was with Examiner.com, where I wrote about coupons, deals, San Antonio events, and fashion.

You get paid depending on how many people read your work, so if you have a lot of Facebook friends or Twitter followers that will read you thoughts on the newest video game, or the latest Hollywood gossip, or whatever else you're interested in, this could be a fun way to earn extra cash. Learn more here.

I currently write for Bubblews, which also pays you depending on how many people read your work. Many readers post their coupon hauls and deals on Bubblews and get paid to do it!

Find money you forgot about. You might have an old savings account or insurance policy somewhere that you totally forgot about -- I did!

Go through Unclaimed.org to do a search of your full name across multiple government databases, then follow the directions to reclaim your forgotten cash.

What are some other ways you've found or earned extra money on your computer? Share your secrets in the comments section below -- or join the conversation over on the San Antonio Budget Grocery Facebook page.

And don't forget to check out my other posts on how to find extra money for the holidays:

Want more freebies and deals? Go back to the front page, follow me on Twitter, or keep up with all the action on Facebook.

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How to find extra money for the holidays -- in your computer

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