by Savannah White

Created on: May 31, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. January, when the holiday bills arrive, is one of the most distressing times of the year. Shopping for all your friends and family can put a huge dent in your budget. What usually happens is people spend their holiday cash, then start in on the credit cards. Every year they vow next year will be different. Is it? Probably not, but it can be. With a few simple changes, you can have a gift under the tree for everyone on your Christmas list and have money left over.

Tip number one, which is a fantastic way to stay within a budget, is to set a per person price limit for gift purchases. What should the limit be? That is up to you, but it will probably depend on how many people you are shopping for and how much money you have available. If you have a large family, the spending limit per person will likely be less than someone with only a few people to buy gifts for.

If you are creative you might consider making gifts. This will certainly be easier on your wallet, but might require more time. Homemade gifts are also not appreciated by everyone, so keep that in mind before you pull of the glue gun.

The next tip is to evaluate what you already have at home. You are probably familiar with this technique. It is called re-gifting and it is a fantastic idea. Everyone receives something they do not want, do not like or can't use. Instead of building a nest of unwanted gifts in the back of your closet, consider re-gifting them. Just because you don't find them appealing does not mean they won't be perfect for someone else. Think about the people on your list and who might like what you already have to give. Be careful, though. Make sure you don't give someone the same gift they gave you.

If you are going to shop for presents, start at dollar stores. There are plenty of things you can find in these stores which fit your budget and because these stores tend to be smaller in size, you can get in and out of them quicker. If you are not able to find what you need at dollar stores then move on to larger, pricier shops. You can find plenty of bargains in these stores by shopping in the clearance section and picking up sale items.

One last tip is to do it throughout the year. There are always salef, or clearancef, or discontinued items you can get for really good prices. You many have to buy them in March, but do it and put them away until December. Once the holidays arrive you will be glad you shopped early. It will have saved you time, money and a few headaches worrying about how you will get it all done on time.

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