12 WAYS TO SCORE FREE MONEY

AS AUSTRALIANS BATTLE RISING LIVING COSTS, SOARING RENTS AND HOME LOAN INTEREST RATES THAT ARE THE HIGHEST IN A DECADE, PLENTY OF US COULD USE A BIT OF EXTRA CASH. GIVING YOUR BANK BALANCE A BOOST DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN SLAVING AWAY AT A SECOND JOB OR SELLING A VITAL ORGAN. A WEALTH OF FREE MONEY IS AVAILABLE, AND SOME OF IT COULD BE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. WE LOOK AT 12 STRATEGIES TO HARVEST THE HONEY POT OF FREE CASH.

- NICOLA FIELD

1 DUST OFF FORGOTTEN GIFT CARDS

LAST WEEK I made the brave decision to tidy my teenage son's bedroom. Turns out it was a lucrative experience. Among the decaying remains of school lunches and other questionable finds, I discovered several unused gift cards - JB Hi-Fi ($50), Rebel Sport ($25) and Village Cinemas ($50).

This is not unusual. While gift cards have a reputation for being a lazy gift, recipients are often unequally "meh" about them. According to comparison site Finder, two in five of us have unused gift cards lying around, with an average value of $243.

Finder's head of consumer research, Graham Cooke, believes more than a third of gift cards go unused. "By not redeeming them, you're essentially giving that money back to the retailer and losing out on a great deal of savings," he says.

Since 2019, most gift cards are required to have a minimum three-year shelf life. So, use it or lose it. If you know there's a gift card tucked away somewhere but can't find it, ask the giver if they have the receipt. Some retailers may replace the gift card if you have proof of purchase, once they check the card hasn't been redeemed.

2 GRAB A SUPER CO-CONTRIBUTION

YOU COULD BE eligible for a free boost to your super of up to $500. Sure, it's money you may not be able to access today, but if you're heading into retirement, a co-contribution is definitely worth a look.

If you earn up to $43,445 and make an after-tax super contribution of $1000, the federal government will chip in an extra $500. A partial co-contribution is available if you earn up to $58,445.

You don't need to apply for the super co-contribution. The tax office will work out if you're eligible and automatically top up your super account.

3 LOOK FOR LOST MONEY