If you've been thinking about turning your spare change into holiday cash, Coinstar is offering a generous deal right now.

If you don't mind substituting the cash for a gift card, you can make a 25 percent profit by pouring those extra pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters into a Coinstar machine.

That's a pretty nice way to stretch your holiday budget but, of course, there's fine print to the deal, which runs through Dec. 9.

Here's are the details:

I was bummed to read that Donald Fisher, who founded Gap with his wife Doris back in 1969, died of cancer. He was 81.

I always loved his story: A real estate developer who couldn't find jeans that fit so he and his wife decided to get into the jeans business with a single store in San Francisco. As a result, they did plenty to shake up the jeans business and retailing in general.

As I kid, I loved their ads ("Fall into the Gap") and always wanted to shop there. But I think my mom must have realized the jeans and the store were more for teens and young adults than 8-year-olds!

Struggling Gap, which celebrates 40 years in business this year, is going back to basics with a new campaign focused on what the store sold in the beginning in 1969: jeans.

The new campaign begins today to promote its 1969 Premium Jeans line. The line is supposed to focus more on fit and finish, yet also appeal to budget-conscious shoppers with prices starting at $59.50.

Read more in this N.Y. Times article.