Craftster's hand made gift ideas

I know the holiday season is over but there are more times in a year to make gifts than just Christmas.

Over the month of December Craftster.org compiled a list of some great gift tutorials and I'm passing that list on to you.

Tea Wallet

Patchwork Scarf
Photo Bookmark
Felt board
Personalized Coffee Mug
Water Bottle Carrier
Stenciled T-shirts
Fun Clock
Hooded Towel
Watercolor Portraits
Scrabble Tile Magnets
Candle with Wax Globe
Yarn Ball Ornament
Covered Switchplates
Infused Bath Salts
iPod Cozy
Hat from a Sweater
Little Notebooks
Cupcake Kit
Travel Sudoku Tin
Etched Bottle
Embellished Silverware
I Spy Bag
Pendant
NoSew Fingerless Gloves
Personalized Clue Game
Recycled Stationery
Photo Pillow
Lavender Sachet
Decopaged Spatula

Out door pools open soon

The 2009 schedule for outdoor public pools is now available HERE

Wading pools and spray pads are free and tonnes of fun for the whole family. There are many scattered through out the city so pick one and go cool off already.

Admission Requirements Wading Pools have a maximum depth of 45 - 60 cm (18 - 24 inches). They are designed for children 12 years and under that meet Admission Requirements. Children under 5 years of age must have a parent, guardian or caregiver 12 years of age or older actively supervising them at the pool. Groups are welcome at wading pools city-wide - please check the Group Admission Requirements. Dakota Park is available for group or day care bookings from 9:30 - 11:00 am, Monday - Friday, July 2 - September, 2009.
Wading Pool Rules For the safety and enjoyment of all participants, Wading Pool Rules apply at all wading pools operated by the Community Services Department.
Wading Pool Closures All wading pools are closed on days when Environment Canada forecasts either the projected high temperature for the day is 21°C or lower or the probably of precipitation is 70% or greater. Wading Pools may need to close unexpectedly - please check Wading Pool Closures for more information.

Free light smoothie day at Orange Julius

You will need to bring THIS COUPON with you to the store on June 19th 2009

Again that coupon is at http://www.orangejulius.com/downloads/freeCoupon.pdf

This coupon comes right from the Orange Julius website and it totally legit (Do I post anything that isn't legit?)

Enjoy! YUM YUM 

Make your own Swiffer accesories

I can not take credit for this. This collaboration of links has been put together by Tipnut and am just sharing them with you here.

15 homemade Swiffer cloth patterns includes patterns for knitting, crocheting, sewing and even a no-sew option for the craft challenged (it uses an old sock... brilliant!) 

It also includes a link to a pattern to make your own Swiffer duster and how to take the cap off of a Swiffer wet-jet canister so you can fill it with whatever cleaner you prefer.

The link to the full article in tipnut is HERE.

I personally saw a reusable Swiffer style cloth at Dollarama an just picked one up the other day and then use a spray bottle to get the floor a little damp with a home made cleaner. I'm not as fancy as some people with the whole "Swiffer system" but it works for me.

Fun with plastic bags

Unless you are super smart and remember to bring cloth bags with you to the store you probably have too many plastic bags under your sink or in the pantry just waiting to get thrown out or recycled. Well what if there were uses for these things? Turns out there are many hings you can do with old plastic bags. 

One great thing to do with them, for anyone that sews, is to fuse them together to become one thick plastic sheet that can be sewn like fabric to make anything from purses to rain coats to shoes to new shopping bags to whatever. It becomes hard to tear but you can still cut and sew it.

A really simple bag fusing tutorial with video can be found on etsy.com's how to section and another tutorial with a slight difference at cut out and keep. There is also a tutorial on the threadbanger website on how fuse the plastic and also make a padded laptop case with the newly fused plastic. 

Threadbanger mentions that you should not use pins when sewing the fabric but that you should use bobby pins instead to prevent having too many holes in your 'fabric'

Another great thing is good news for people that like to crochet and knit is to make plastic bag 'yarn'. This is also really simple and again you can make bags or anything you would normally knit or crochet, even dresses. 

HERE is a tutorial where you knot strips together. I personally don't like knots when I am crafting so I use this tutorial found at wiki how.

Just for a larf, before typing this up I used the search option on wiki how and looked up more tutorials for things to do with plastic bags and found a few of interest.

How to make a kite from a plastic bag

How to use a plastic bag as a salad spinner

How to make a plastic bag poncho for your dog

How to weave a plastic bag into a purse

NIN|JA & BNL- Free download

Free and legal music is all over the internet, if you know where to look. 

Artists often have an early release of an album or some singles available for download and that's exactly what I have for you today.

This new Bare naked ladies album has been made available exclusively as a free download until March 27th. Click here to give it a listen

Download the 6 track EP of the NIN|JA compilation album. This album is rock and has explicit lyrics.

Download the the official website http://www.ninja2009.com/

Enjoy your music without the price tag, guilt free!

Make your own : kids clothes out of old fabric (Some adult clothes too)

Do you have old clothes or pillowcases? Maybe a t-shirt you love but grew out of? A yoga mat?

There are a lot of ways to re purpose that old clothes into new clothes or accessories for kids, baby, and even yourself! The skill level varies from beginner to expert and there are even some no-sew options. 

These tutorials are not all made from re purposed clothes, but I have been finding that old pillow cases or old clothes are small enough to make into kids clothes. Also sheets are great places to get cheap fabric, they can be bought second hand or even new for under $5 or you may have some sheets you are never using that can be cut up too. Dollar stores, giant tiger and thrift stores all have cheap clothes, towels and fabrics that can be used too. 

Beginner - No sewing machine

Hand stitched Pillow case dress (Video)

Arm warmers (It says sewing machine but can be hand stitched or not stitched at all - made from socks)

Fingerless gloves (Made from socks, no sew, no glue)

Flip flops made from a yoga mat (Materials include a glue gun, I am not sure if other glue works)

Novice - Sewing machine recomended but very simple instructions

T-shirt into baby romper (Uses Velcro closure)

15 minute dress (Uses bandannas and ribbon)

Bandanna skirt (I think this would be a little short but you could use any fabric)

Twirly skirt (So easy you could make a million of these)

Scoodie (Scarf/hoodie made from an old hoodie - Video) 

Apron, pants, necktie, halter top, halter dress (All from bandannas)

Pillowcase dress (very similar to above, but with a sewn edge - video)

Baby dress / Tunic (Similar to the pillowcase dress)

Wrapper bib (Made from old food wrappers. Cool!)

Sweater wrap (Featured on the Rachael Ray show. Tute starts about half way through the video, after the Q&A)

Doily racer back (A t-shirt with doilies on it. Very cool!)

Kids skirts from dish towels (Are you too frugal when you are dressing your kids in rags and towels? These look so cute!)

Kids apron from a place mat (Use an old one on hand or they have cute place mats at dollarama!) 

Adult or kids apron from a tea towel

Advanced - It's advanced... For those with experience sewing with a machine and terminology

Button shirt to toddler dress (Detailed tutorial)

t-shirt dress (Another very detailed tutorial)

Skirt from bed sheet (Adult size skirt)

Dress from an old work shirt (I have to make this one for myself!)

Dress from a sweatshirt (another adult size)

Space man hoodie from 2 sweatshirts (Awesome video!)

Corset out of dollar store materials (Has to be seen to be believed)

Dress from shower poofs (Really.... yes)

Boxers from an old pillow case (When you need to cover your butt instead of your pillow)

Freecycle your everything

In an effort to de-clutter my life and my house I found Freecycle.org and never thought of the impact if would have.

Freecycle is living proof of that old adage, 'One mans trash is another mans treasure'. You can list items on their website that you no longer need and request items posted if you see something listed you would like. I personally use this website and recommend you do too. The types of items given and taken is so varied

Examples of items I have given away are:

Old door knobs

Cardboard boxes

Old electronics

furniture

used baby items

Examples of items I have received are:

A slow cooker/deep fryer

Dvd storage rack

A stroller

Bathroom shelves

Wood for shelving

 

Here's how it works:

After visiting Freecycle.org you need to find your local freecycle group. They are all listed on the website so type in your area to find yours. Freecycle is international with locations, well, internationally. Once you find the one right for your location you need to join it, to do this you need a Yahoo! account. If you have one great, visit that region's Yahoo! page, join and wait for approval. If you don't have one then you can make it HERE. Be sure to include your area in your Yahoo! account information or else you will be denied membership. Freecycle moderators want to be sure everyone using that region's service is in the right area.

Once accepted please read the rules and notices emailed to you or on the Yahoo! page. This is important. The rules are rather specific with details such as how to post items to give away or how to and how often you can request a specific item. 

Using your local Freecycle Yahoo! page, post about items you have available to offer or items you want to request. You can also respond to other people's posts to contact them directly. Many times people get multiple requests for something they posted so if you are selected the owner of the item will contact you to make arrangements for a pick up or delivery time. 

Remember, instead of trashing it, someone else might want it! Freecycle it!

Free pledge and Irish springs t-shirt

Just a few freebie links I found over at smartcanucks.ca

The first one is for Pledge

Click for Save.ca link

Since this comes from Save.ca the chance of this coming is very high. My unscientific opinion states it is 99.9999999% likely to show up. It will probably be in the form of a coupon you can redeem.

The next one is for an Irish spring T-shirt. 

Click here for official website

When you get to that page, click the t-shirt on the right side and then pick the one you want and enter your information. 

If you are selected you will get a com formation email. I ordered one for a few people and they were all selected, I think they select everyone until they are all out of shirts.

This one is very likely to come because it is a legitimate website, just be sure to order soon because this is only while supplies last and lots of people order more than one.

Bottom of the jar recipes

A frugal lifestyle doesn't waste anything, that's why I love Rachael Ray's "Bottom of the jar" recipes. They have lots on her website RachaelRay.com

A "Bottom of the jar" recipe is just that, a recipe using the little bit at the bottom of the jar or other food container and making it into something you can use. Usually the recipe consists of adding more ingredients into the jar and then closing the lid and giving it a good shake to use all the item but this is not always the case. Take a look at these recipes and you will get the idea. Many of them have videos to accompany the recipe. 

-Rachael ray's bottom of the jar recipe index

Some other recipes include (but are not limited to)

- Creamy chicken glaze : Bottom of the salad dressing bottle

Add a little milk (about 1/4 cup) to the almost empty salad dressing bottle, put the lid on and give it a good shake. Roast or BBQ chicken pieces and add this sauce about 5 minutes before the end of cooking for a yummy flavoured chicken. This works best with ranch, blue cheese, Cesar or some other creamy dressing and is also great on pork.

- Fruit syrup : Bottom of the jam jar recipe (or honey bottle)

Add a little juice to the jam jar (or honey bottle) when it is too empty to scrap the edges any more and give it a good shake. You don't need much juice just enough to get the goodies off the side of the jar. 

Any kind of juice and jam will do. I find orange juice goes well with everything and the same with apple juice but experiment yourself with what you have on hand

Pour this over pancakes or ice cream.

Let us know what some of your "Bottom of the jar" recipes are!

Two things in life are certain

Death and taxes.

A few ways to help with taxes though are Canadian tax cuts and write offs. 

Let's look at the tax cuts from this year first. There are many things you can claim on your taxes. Did you know you can claim your bus passes from last year? How about that soccer club you enrolled your kid in last spring? Do you or your spouse work in the trades? You can claim some tools they purchased last year. Did you know you can claim medical expenses? 

This government website has a nice spattering of info that can probably help you. 

If you are nervous about claiming too many things remember some tax places like H&R Block have a guarantee where if you get audited (happened to me once) they will send all the necessary documents to the government for you and if you incur additional cost from a mistake they made (like claim too much?) they will eat that cost. Maybe paying them $80 is a lot to pay for someone to do your taxes, but if you are looking at getting $500 back per child for their summer camp you enrolled them in, it may be worth it after all.

Blog? Do you?

The following I got from wisebread.com and is a list of 101 things you may be able to write off if you are a blogger or freelancer.  I believe this is an American list, so if in doubt please contact a professional.

Here are the expenses you should look into deducting if you’re a blogger and/or freelancer, assuming they apply to your chosen blogging or freelancing field (you can’t deduct movie tickets if you have no reason to be at the movies…but if you have a blog all about movies and reviews, go for it). 

As always, you need proof of this stuff. No good saying you bought 50 magazines last year if you can’t find the receipts. With the government hemorrhaging money, they’re looking for any opportunity to keep as much of your cash as they can. In the event of an audit (aaarggghhh) you want your finances to be watertight. 

It’s also worth noting that your expenses shouldn’t really outweigh your income (although sometimes it's inevitable in your first year of business, taking into account start-up costs and so forth). But, if you made $1500 from your blogging adventures, writing off a $3500 computer system may trigger a big bad red flag. The IRS doesn't like it when you spend more than you make.  And if in doubt, double check with an accountant. 

1. Industry books & periodicals, including audio books
2. Other books and periodicals used for research
3. Library book charges
4. DVDs and CDs related to your blogging
5. Movie or theater tickets, if related to your blogging or freelancing
6. Music and TV show downloads
7. Magazine subscriptions
8. Research sites that require a subscription
9. Further education classes
10. Webinars
11. Business podcasts
12. Business-related websites (for me, that would be Adweek)
13. Memberships to professional clubs and affiliations
14. Internet access fees (at about $40 a month, that’s a biggie)
15. Public internet access fees (Internet café’s, airports etc)
16. Stock photo purchases for your blog
17. Search Engine Optimization services and fees
18. Paid site submissions
19. Website hosting fees
20. Website design and/or maintenance fees
21. Website/blog templates
22. Domain name cost(s) and renewals
23. Blog expenses (e.g. WordPress additions)
24. Film & Digital cameras
25. Web cameras
26. Handheld video recorders
27. Digital memory cards
28. Recordable CDs and DVDs
29. Zip drives
30. Photo printouts
31. Film & film processing
32. Printer ink and copier toner
33. Phone charging stations (e.g. at the airport)
34. Second phone line for your business/fax machine
35. Long distance charges related to business
36. Cost of phone/fax/scanner/copier equipment
37. Cell phone & PDA expenses (bills, equipment, accessories)
38. Personal voice recorders and memo machines
39. Business equipment rental
40. Computer equipment & peripherals
41. Computer upgrades (I had to upgrade my RAM twice last year)
42. Depreciation costs of computer equipment
43. Data storage (both online and external HDDs)
44. Any business related software (not games…unless you review them)
45. Software licensing fees
46. Anti-virus and anti-spam subscriptions
47. Unpaid invoices. If you do some work for someone, be it a simple blog article or a much bigger job, and you get stiffed on the bill, you can write off your loss.
48. Fees for other bloggers and freelancers. If you get overwhelmed and pay a friend or relative to help out, any money you pay that person for their assistance is a tax deduction.
49. Tax and accounting software
50. Tax preparation fees
51. Business incorporation costs
52. Costs for Trademarks or Copyrights.
53. Business logos and graphic design fees
54. Business cards, letterhead and other stationery (even stuff you print yourself)
55. Office supplies (everything from paper to paper clips)
56. Home office expenses. You can deduct the part of your home you use exclusively for blogging or freelancing as an expense, including a portion of the rent, water, heating bills and so on.
57. Percentage of your home insurance (for your home office)
58. Online self-promotion fees (that includes banners and Adwords costs)
59. Trade show fees
60. Advertising costs (newspapers, stickers, posters, postcards etc)
61. Photography fees (e.g. headshots, pack shots etc)
62. Photocopying/faxing fees
63. Transportation costs: car mileage; airline tickets; taxis; buses; trains.
64. Highway tolls
65. Parking fees
66. Hotel costs for business trips.
67. Cleaning & laundering services when traveling for business.
68. Costs of conferences, plus all related expenses (e.g. BlogHer)
69. Health insurance costs (if you’re self-employed)
70. Computer equipment insurance
71. Food and drink purchased on business trips
72. Client entertainment (be reasonable…not sure you’ll get away with Strip Club deductions)
73. Postage costs (Stamps.com is ideal for keeping track of postage, and the service itself is tax-deductible)
74. PayPal and Western Union fees
75. Post Office Box fees.
76. Safe Deposit Box fees.
77. Self-storage fees, especially useful if your files and records are spilling over into your garage and you need extra space.
78. Advice. Any professional advice you pay for that pertains to your business is a tax deduction, and that includes counseling or coaching.
79. Membership dues to labor unions (do bloggers have a union?)
80. Charity work or donations (this one’s tricky. It’s limited to your out-of-pocket costs, not the final cost of the product. In my case, I’ve done some writing for charity, which is not applicable because you can’t deduct time spent. But any materials used during your charity work can be deducted).
81. Prizes and giveaways. Here at Wise Bread, we give away some very nice things. Often, they are generously given to us as gifts to pass on to you, or readers. But when we go out and spend money on a prize to give away, that can be deducted, as well as the cost to mail it out to you.
82. Business furniture. If you use it exclusively for your blogging or freelancing, then anything from a chair or filing cabinet to the whole desk can be written off.
83. Business functions. If you hold a little get-together for clients, even just one or two, then everything from the rental of the room (or golf course…know what I mean?) to food and drink can be deducted.
84. Business lunches. You can't include your own meal, but if you pick up the tab at a power-lunch (or just a meeting with a potential client) you can write off their part of the check.
85. Props. I sometimes use props for photoshoots, and the cost of those props can be deducted.
86. Job search expenses. Any money you spend trying to get work, from postage to travel, is a deductible expense.
87. Alcohol and drug abuse treatment. If the pressure turns you into a Betty Ford patient, you can deduct the expenses of treatment. Let’s hope you never have to though.
88. Any losses due to theft. Away on business, your laptop gets stolen…write it off.
89. Moving expenses related to your blogging or freelancing.
90. You can deduct 50% of your self-employment tax
91. Home improvements. Turn the basement into a home office, those expenses are deductible.
92. Clothing and accessories. If you have to buy any clothing for a particular job (maybe you needed protective clothing & headwear to write an article about a building site) then those costs are also deductible. But don’t try and write off your new Gucci watch.
93. Business checking expenses. If you have anything more that free checking, it’s a deduction.
94. Business gifts. This is cool. If your mom watched the kids while you went off to do an interview or write an article, and you then bought her flowers or choccies, well, the gift is tax deductible. Very sweet.
95. Annual fees for business credit cards.
96. Physical therapy. Writing for eight hours a day can cause all sorts of problems, including the dreaded Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. I've been advised by many accountants that you can deduct the cost of that therapy. However, medical expenses are a complex beast, and usually need to be a percentage of your income. Check with your accountant for details.
97. Headache pills, eye drops and so on. If staring at the screen all day gives you a killer migraine, you can write off the cost of the meds to help you get through it and keep on working.
98. Wages. Say you pay your kid $20 a month to empty your office trash can, maybe as a way to earn an allowance. Well, you can deduct that expense.
99. Your dog. No kidding, if you can prove it's a guard dog and is protecting your equipment, you can write-off the doggie expenses.
100. Net operating loss. If your deductions outweigh your earnings, which often happens in your start-up year, you can use that loss to lower your taxes next year. 
     

And one big final deduction you may want to think about:

101. Your TV cable or satellite bill. I can deduct it because I need it…I work in the movie business. It’s a very nice deduction, too. If you blog about soaps, movies, TV shows, or anything else in the entertainment field, this could be a nice write-off for you.
     

It's a big list, but even if only 25% of it applies to you, it could add up to a nice chunk of cash back in your pocket. And before I get chastised, I'm not against paying taxes. But when corporations are finding ways to jump through every legal loophole and pay almost no federal tax, I don't think it hurts you to take the legitimate tax deductions on the table. 

Go stake your claim.  

-----------------

I would like to add to this list, having a small business myself. Last year the guy at H&R block last year told me that because I use a room in my home in my office I can write off a portion of my gas and electricity bills as well as a portion of my mortgage. I also heard that I can claim donations to my church or other donations. I will be sure to ask the tax guy. I am going to be back to the same guy at H&R as last year because I know he can do a better job (and get me more money) than I ever could but if you have the confidence to do it yourself then do it but really look into what you can and can't claim! There may be money waiting for you.

Get the most out of Goozex

In case I didn't make it clear yesterday, I love Goozex! We are a huge gaming family and video games cost so much money. Those that game know that the system is a cash hog, then $40-$80 per game just adds up. 

Gamers also know that EB or other retail stores that offer trade in give very little back, but there is another option.

I already explained Goozex.com yesterday so I won't type it out again but I thought I would walk people through their first free game with Goozex. Because free games rock.

First off you need to sign up. That's right SIGN UP! you can't get a free video game without signing up. There is no cost, they don't take your credit card info. You do have to give them your address but you will not be billed for anything. Also, while signing up you want to chose that you want your trading region to include Canada and USA (Bermuda too if you like, but I don't think there are many users from there) this will give you access to more users, will make your game come sooner and you will have access to more games too.

After you are signed up and logged in, you will see a page that looks like the image below. (Minus my scribbles)

Like the image says, pick the platform for the game you would like to receive and then click 'available'

This will bring up a page that shows all games that are currently ready for trading. Once on this second page pick how the games are sorted. In this case you want to sort it by points'

This will put all games that are worth 100 points on the first page. Remember, you get 100 points to start with and now you can see all the games you can afford. 

Now go crazy. pick any game you are interested in. It's a free game, just get something you would like to try. If you don't like it you can always trade it back and get your points back or give it to a friend to try or whatever so don't be too picky. You won't be able to get the freshest newest game for 100 points anyways so just pick something that looks fun to you. (you can earn more points and save up for a newer game, I get more into that in a bit) To chose a game click the white 'want it' button under the image of the box. This will pop up a window that gives you more options like if you want to get the game with or without the box (without the box usually comes faster but boxes are nice) or if you want to put it on hold right now (You don't want to put it on hold at this time) and click done when you are done with that window (I usually just click 'want it' then click done) and then do it again for another game, and another game.

If you decide to continue to use this service, you can remove the games you don't really care much for. I suggest you keep using this service but please at least get your free game. I would give everyone in the country a free game if I could. Free stuff rocks so hard!

Anyways, after you pick your games just wait for something to come in the mail. That's it. If you like you can set your email settings in you 'account' page. I would suggest that if you never want to hear from them again, but if you plan on using this service you will need to get some emails like when someone requests a game that you have.

Like I mentioned before, you will not be able to get the hottest game but remember 

PS3 can play PS and PS2 games

PS2 can play PS games

Nintendo DS can play GBA (or SP) games

Wii can play Gamecube games

Xbox 360 plays many xbox games (Check which games on their backwards compatibility website)

Don't know what games to get? Like Halo3? try Halo 2 for xbox. Like paper Mario? Try older versions of this game on gamecube. 

Lots of good older games out there, don't pass them up because they are older. Also it's free, don't be so picky. If you don't like it, trade it back to the system and get your points back and get another game for the cost of one trade credit (or one dollar) or give it away to a friend or whatever you like.

Now a little something for those that chose to keep using the system. Here is how to get free trade credits (so you don't have to pay the dollar) and more free games for you. 

On the goozex website there will be a referral code. Share this code with your friends. When you are at their house talk to them about getting free video games and sign them up using your referral code. Not the one you used to sign up because that is mine and I will get the perk for it (I would like to get the bonus but this is about helping you now). Go through the available games together and pick something together. When they get their free game and they give positive feedback (after using YOUR referral) you get another 100 free points and 1 free trade credit.

If you know only 5 people, get them a free game each and that's 500 points and 5 trade credits. this is without even sending a single game of your own or a penny out of your pocket. If you can sign up and get games to 10 people that's the worth of a new release game on goozex. This is a little work, but people like to get free games and it is really easy to convince people to sign up, especially if you do it for them or with them (ask permission before doing it for someone). Trade back any games when you are done with them to get more points and use the free trade credits you got from signing up your friends to get more free games. The cycle never ends and you can keep getting free games forever.

Please use this website if you are a gamer. you will save a lot of money and your friends will like to save money on games too.

Sending the games you are done with to Goozex is the best way to earn points, but this way you can do it without sending games if you like.

Shipping in a bubble envelope is aprox. $1.96 and you only pay if you decide to send your games out. 

I think I made it sound more complicated than it is. This website is so easy to use you will love it.

 

Swap it into something new

There are a lot of websites out there that allow trades online. Some are totally free and for others there is a small fee like "trade credits" or shipping.

Books:

Book Crossing is a great place for book swapping. They have a system that is like a treasure hunt for books. You tag a book with their special code (BC-ID) and then "release it into the wild", meaning that you basically leave the book somewhere for people to find and then notify others on the website where you left it, so that someone else can find it.

You can browse other people's books and even email someone directly about a book you would like and request they email it to you. I have a friend that has gotten a lot of books this way and I have sent and received books in this manner. 

There is no fee for this service but they recommend you buy their stickers and bookmarks. You pay postage for books sent (usually a few dollars) or just release them into the wild at no cost (you just leave it somewhere).

This service is worldwide.

Video games:

Goozex.com is a swapping website for video gamers. They offer games for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS2 PS and GBA. How it works is you list the games you own that you are willing to trade. When the game is requested you send the game for a point value.

For example, if you have Spore for the DS you list that you have this game on goozex. This game is worth 400 points. When someone else requests the game and you send it to them you will receive 400 points. Then you can use those points to "buy" another game, for example, Animal crossing:Wild world is 350 points.

This is a much better 'game for game' ratio than trading games to EB.

This service takes some time because someone needs to request your game and it goes through a list so people that listed the game first will be the first ones to send it.

This service is available in Canada, USA and Bermuda. European gamers can use Goozex.eu

There is a fee for this service. $1 to receive a trade (Trade credit) , cost of shipping to send. Under $2 to send a normal game in a bubble envelope. I carefully cut open bubble envelopes and send my game in a used envelope (taped paper over the old address) so I don't pay for envelopes but the envelopes are 3 for a dollar at Dollarama if you need to buy some. 

Still, with the cost of shipping, this is still more bang for your buck than trading games in at EB or other game stores (Trade in 3 for 1 game??? YUCK) 

Right now Goozex has an offer where if you sign up you get 100 free points and one free trade credit. This is the same as just getting one free game so you can see if the system works (It does, I have been using it for over a year and have gotten hundreds of dollars in games from this website) without any risk or sending in any games of your own. They also have a guarantee and a great customer service department and will give you your points back if you do not get the game or if the game is broken. I have never had to use this because I have gotten all my games in excellent condition. I highly recommend this website and if you sign up please list me as someone that referred you (My user name is Annchan)

Movies:

Zip.ca I have never actually used myself but have heard good things about it. It is like Netflix for Canadians in which it is a DVD rental website. Movies are delivered to your home with a postage paid envelope and you watch the movie, send it back, then the next movie you request comes in the mail. There are several different price packs to chose from. 

Quote from zip.ca:

Watch all the DVDs you want in a month with our convenient 1-DVD Unlimited Plan for $10.95, the 2-DVD Unlimited Plan for $18.95, or the 3-DVD Unlimited Plan for $24.95.

New members are eligible for a free trial. Trial memberships last two weeks which gives you a perfect opportunity to try the service. If you are happy with the service and selection from Zip, do nothing and your membership will convert to a paying membership and will continue for as long as you want.

You can deactivate your membership at any time. There are no deactivation fees.

So in retrospect, there are varying price points, no shipping and is available in Canada. It's a little more than I would pay for movies but if you rent a lot it is worth your money. Cheaper than renting at the local store and no driving.

Speaking about renting movies, I signed up for blockbuster's and Rogers video's email newsletter recently (Read: before Christmas) and the newsletters contained free rentals and other coupons. I went to their website more recently though (Read: 5 minutes ago to verify) and it shows discounts like $1 off rentals with a different coupon every week. Other local rental places might have newsletters with free rentals or coupons for signing up too so check it out. If you rent from those places you might as well get something off (if not totally free)

There are a lot more websites like these on the web but have been having a hard time finding some that are available in Canada. Here are some other links that have been recommended to me but I have not been able to try them out.

USA only:

Paperback swap

DVD Swap

CD Swap

Please leave a comment with other links for swapping websites or other places for free or cheap entertainment. I would love to learn more and share the links. Thanks!