A new customer recently shared her plot to beat the SmartyPig system. It was so genius, we had to share it.

I had heard about SmartyPig before, but when I read about the new redemption program recently I decided to check it out for myself. Holiday bills were already piling up, so I signed on for a SmartyPig savings goal to cover next year's gifts. But it was while tooling around the site, I realized I could actually "game" the system THIS CHRISTMAS by depositing money into a goal and taking it out on gift cards a few days later.

So I started a goal, deposited $500, waited for the money to clear and then loaded up on cards.

My gift list:

• Mom and Sister-$100 Macy's gift cards - I get $24 back in cash for getting them through SmartyPig
• Brother-$100 GameStop card - I get $3 back
• Dad-$100 at Sears - I get $4 back
• Niece-Baby Gap $100 Gift Card - $5 for me!

I "earned" $36 in free money and finished shopping for my family all at once! Plus, I've still got the account set up for next year's gifts, so no headaches there. I'm also opening up a spend account for the ordinary stuff I have to buy, like socks and underwear. Since I already shop at Macy's I might as well buy them there and make a profit.

We applaud the creativity! After all, our goal is to wean customers off plastic and stoke their love of saving by making the process easy, social and rewarding. If you can also get some real cash in the process, why not do that too? It sure beats paying 18% in credit card interest. Whether it's gifts this holiday, next summer's vacation, a down payment for your dream house, or regular purchases of underwear and socks, we're here to help you make it happen, and rewarding you with cash incentives for the things you want and need most.

It's the SmartyPig difference. And we always love to hear from you! Thanks!

- The SmartyPig Team

Of course, many, if not most of us will still purchase gifts this holiday season. Obviously, the holidays are a time for putting our troubles aside and focusing on the good things in life. But in these times, why not give a gift that can help give someone you know and love a leg up, a chance for a dream to come true or just a crash course in how to handle money? SmartyPig gift cards help you Give the Gift of Saving. If ever people needed a sound financial tool in their stocking it is now.

Know someone who needs to get on the right track? Have a family member who is in dire need of a vacation and just needs a nudge to start saving for it? Need to inspire and educate your employees about how to get to the light at the end of the tunnel - and a canned ham just won't do the trick? SmartyPig Gift Cards can be your saving grace. You give. They learn the basics of creating a goal, saving for it and earning interest, as well as a head start -instead of the fruitcake. Now that's a gift that will keep on giving and giving and giving.

Lisa Kelly, a three time cancer fighter found that medical bills were adding up after being laid off from her job. She added the SmartyPig widget to her blog so that her freinds, family and readers can contribute money to her medical expenses goal and she can focus on getting well. View Lisa's site here.

We also heard about Andrew and Liz Sherburne. Moving into a new house can be stressful and it turned into somewhat of a nightmare for them. Less than thirty days after moving in, the floods of 2008 hit their home hard. Without flood insurance the cost to clean up and fix their home skyrocketed. Friends and family wanted to know how they could help. The Shurburnes set up a goal for their home improvement and are watching their goal grow in part to others generosity. View the Sherburne's site here.

This is what SmartyPig is all about. It's the piggy bank of the 21st century. Social networking is playing a tremendous role in day to day life and that's something SmartyPig wants to be a part of. By making goals public, cancer fighters and flood victims, newly engaged couples and recent graduates can all benefit from the contributions of others. SmartyPig can be much more than saving.