by Patti Beckert

Created on: November 16, 2009   Last Updated: November 18, 2009

Here it is, the holiday season is once again upon us and you find yourself wondering how in the world you are going to be able to afford to make it through another Christmas without breaking the bank. It seems like this year, especially, people are finding it hard to celebrate Christmas as usual when the economy is so bleak. However, most stores understand hard times and know that if they do not give a little on their prices, their bottom line is going to suffer, which is good news for the parent shopping for Christmas gifts for their children when the budget is tight.

With a little planning and strategy, you can provide a nice Christmas for your children on less money than last year. One key thing to remember about kids is that they don't necessarily have a clue what things cost and therefore, if you shop wisely, you may just find a close enough copy of the toy they want without them going ballistic on Christmas morning. It is up to you to decide whether you want to blow your whole budget on one large item your child can't live without, or if you want to spread the budget out over several lesser gifts so that there are more gifts under the tree. Here are some tips to save money regarding both options:

Buying One Large Big-Ticket Item

Big-ticket items such as a Playstation 2, Game Boy, Netbook, iPod or other computer-driven toys for teens, as well as Talking Elmos, large plastic playsets, bicycles, and battery-driven cars for the little tykes can take a big bite out of the budget. However, there are several ways you can get these items without running the credit cards up to the limit or robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Use Layaway

Stores such as K-Mart, Sears, and Toys-R-Us are offering layaway programs this holiday season to help you purchase your holiday gifts over a longer period of time. The benefits to using a layaway plan to purchase your gifts is two-fold: you can pick out the items when they are on sale, but also have the ease of extending the payment of these more expensive items over a longer period of time. Everyone wins.

Shop on Black Friday

Black Friday sales at your area stores offer amazing value if you are brave enough to face the crowds. Go online to view the offerings early and compare the prices between the stores. You are sure to come up with the best price at that time and all you need to do then is get up at the crack of dawn and be one of the first people in line to pick up the item your child has been "Jonesing" for.

Buying Several Smaller

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