Being a single mother of two (wonderful) children, homeowner, chief bill-payer and head of my household, I suppose I know a thing or two about income and expenses. One thing is for sure - You never have enough of one and always way too much of the other. I would like to share with you some of the ways I've been able to cut expenses on Holiday gift giving over the years and still take pleasure in the joy of giving.

Set a Shopping Budget

It really doesn't matter what your income level, you should still set a budget for Holiday gift giving. Otherwise, you won't know when to stop. I am SO guilty of this. I would buy "X" amount of gifts for each person on my list, and feel compelled to buy "just a little more"...until it "felt right". That is one thing I've stopped doing. Now, I set a budget for each person. And, I stop at that amount.

Quality - Not Quantity

After you have set your budget, consider purchasing one nice gift instead of a lot of little insignificant gifts. I know I am guilty of purchasing my children dozens of $10 to $20 gifts so they would have more things to open on Christmas morning, but I would still have those "bigger, more expensive gifts" saved for the end.

Actually, that's great when they are really little... you can get away with Dollar Store gifts and not even buy the "big items". However, as they get older and want more expensive toys and gadgets, purchase one or two "big gifts" and forget all the others. You will save money that way. The same goes for anyone on your shopping list... go for the one nice gift.

Discount Gift Buying

There are many ways to save money when purchasing gifts for those on your shopping list this season. Always look for pre-holiday sales in your local paper, you really can find some amazing bargains on items you are looking for.

Online shopping is another way to pinch pennies this season. Not only does shopping this way save you time and gas money if you have to travel to do your shopping, but you can also look for free or discount shipping specials, coupon codes and discount stores. Not to mention, no whining kids, no long check-out lines, no "bad" holiday music blaring while you shop. You can sit back and relax, shop in your pajamas, and play music that you enjoy and save tons of money. All in the convenience of your own home.

There are so many excellent places to shop online. Too many to mention in one article. I'll name just a few to get you started...

Overstock.com

I've done a lot of my Holiday (and other) shopping on this site, and highly recommend it to anyone. They offer huge discounts on thousands of products such as clothing, jewelry, electronics, sporting goods, books, and just about anything else. I have always received quality customer service and fast shipping. Right now they have a $1.00 site-wide shipping offer. You can't go wrong!

Wal-Mart.com

With their newest program, the Site-To-Store shipping option, you can order anything on the Wal-Mart.com site and have it shipped to your local Wal-Mart free of charge.

Amazon.com

If you have never shopped at Amazon.com, you have got to check them out. They are literally your one-stop shopping super center on the web with excellent customer service, helpful product ratings, and fast shipping. They also offer great deals on shipping as well.

Giving Homemade Gifts

This is a topic I could write a whole book about. Every year my children and I make some type of homemade gift to give everyone on our list. No matter what you choose to make, supplies are easy to find, inexpensive, and there is so much information available online and in books that you will never have to worry about finding a certain item, recipe or idea. I'll give you a few examples of items we've made in the past years:

•Gifts In A Jar

Most of you have probably seen those adorable mason jars layered with ingredients to make a decadent batch of brownies or a tasty soup, adorned with fabric and ribbon as a topper. These are not only inexpensive to make, but fun to assemble as well. My children and I have made these together several times. We form an assembly line, each putting a particular layer in the jar.

They make great hostess gifts, teacher gifts or a nice addition to a gift basket. One book I've used quite a bit for ideas is called "Gifts From a Jar". You get tons of recipe ideas with corresponding gift tags providing the recipe and baking instructions. They even give you raffia & fabric for your jar tops!

•Spa Baskets

Everyone loves to be pampered. For a small amount of money you can put together an expensive-looking spa gift basket. We did spa baskets a couple years ago for gift-giving. They were so much fun to make and everyone loved them! I purchased my baskets at our local dollar store along with items to include such as bath oils, lotions, potpourri, sachets, body puffs, fancy soaps, candles, bath pillows and even the basket filler, ribbon and cellophane basket bags. You can add a bottle of wine and a CD of relaxing music if you wish. The ideas are endless!

I always like to include something homemade in my baskets as well. For my spa baskets I made a batch of Lavender scented bath salts (see recipe below). Purchase glass jars with lids at your local dollar store (where else??!!), fill with your salts and adorn with ribbon or raffia. You can even get really creative and make your own labels. Arrange all your items in your basket in an attractive way, add a few sprigs of dried lavender or some silk flowers. Place in a large cellophane basket bag and tie with a ribbon.

Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts

1 Cup Rock Salt or Dead Sea Salt

½ Cup Epsom Salt

2 T. Baking Soda

10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

15 - 20 Drops Colorant (I Use Soap Colors)

Mix all together except baking soda. Stir in soda after the

other ingredients are mixed. You can also add ½ tsp. glycerin

at this point to make the salts sparkle. 

(Google "bath salts" to find hundreds of recipes and ideas)

________________________________________________________________

• Snowman Soup Baskets

I think these were the most fun-to-make baskets the kids and I ever did! I purchased baskets from our local dollar store along with some winter-themed coffee mugs, boxes of candy canes, ribbon, basket-filler and cellophane basket bags...

Make one or two batches of "Gourmet Hot Chocolate" (see recipe below). Fill canning jars with the mixture and decorate them for gift giving. Cut a piece of fabric in an 8 inch circle. (Pinking shears make a nice edge) and place on the jar top. Secure the fabric to the lid with a rubber band. Print or write the directions (see below) on a small card with the "Snowman Soup" poem (see below). Attach to the jar with a ribbon or raffia.

We also made hand dipped chocolate spoons to include (simply dip plastic spoons in melted chocolate, let harden, package in cellophane tied with a ribbon). You can also drizzle them with another colored chocolate. I filled medium-sized cellophane bags (also from the dollar store) with mini-marshmallows and tied each with a ribbon. These items are optional, but nice to include.

Arrange your "Snowman Soup" jar, a candy cane, your mug and any other items you wish to include in a basket- place in a large cellophane basket bag - tie with a ribbon - and whala! You have a great gift for anyone on your list this season!

Gourmet Hot Chocolate

10 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk 

4 cup confectioner's sugar 

2- 8 ounce jars of French vanilla nondairy powdered creamer 

3 1/2 cups Nestle's Quick

2 3/4 cup nondairy powdered creamer 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar. 

This recipe will yield approximately 8 pint size gift jars.

Attach this to the Jar:

Snowman Soup

Was told you've been real good this year.

Always glad to hear it!

With freezing weather drawing near,

You'll need to warm the spirit.

So here's a little Snowman Soup

Complete with stirring stick.

Add hot water, sip it slow.

It's sure to do the trick!

Combine 3 heaping tablespoons of "Snowman Soup"

into hot water or milk. Stir.

_______________________________________________________________

• Baked / Canned Goods Gift Basket

If you can fruits and vegetables throughout the year or make homemade jam or jelly, you already have most of the items you will need to create this most coveted gift. Other items to include are homemade banana bread, cookies, sausage, candy, etc. Again, purchase your other supplies from your local dollar store or Wal-Mart, arrange your items attractively, place in basket bag and tie with a ribbon. You have a gift of homemade goodness that cost little other then your time and will be loved and appreciated by all!

_______________________________________________________________

• Photo Slide Show on DVD

This was something I did last year. Your only major expense is your time. You will need to purchase some blank DVDs, invest in photo to CD copying, DVD cases and some labels if you wish. Helpful hint: I had my photos scanned and put on a CD at my local Wal-Greens. They charge $5 per "shoebox-full" (approx. 80) pictures. Even more, you will receive an option to purchase their PhotoShow software, which is very reasonable, and extremely user-friendly. Or, you can shop around and find another program you prefer. You can personalize your PhotoShow with captions, music, cool transitions and effects. Everyone LOVED this gift!!! Once you create a completed show, you can make as many copies as you wish... and use the software over and over to create as many movies as you want.

_________________________________________________________________

• Mini Holiday Scrapbooks

There are some really cute Holiday-themed mini scrapbooks to choose from. A great idea for your book could be to focus on "Christmas Through The Years" as a theme featuring one photo for each Christmas past and include a small journal entry or tag per page. You could make one for each member of the family and still stay within your budget. Some dollar stores even carry these books and a lot of the supplies you will need as well.

________________________

• Heritage Album

Crafting a Heritage Album for a loved one on you shopping list is truly a gift from the heart. Several years ago I was at my wits end over what to buy my parents for Christmas. I am not sure what sparked the idea of a Heritage Album, but I am so glad I thought of it. It ended up being the best gift I ever gave them.

Guided by that inspiration and the rave reviews I get everytime they show it to someone, I decided to start a website spefically geared toward Heritage Scrapbooking. Even if you have never "scrapped" before (such was my case at that time), there are numerous websites where you can gain a wealth of knowledge, and supplies can easily be purchased at your local dollar store or walmart. For your online shopping convenience, there are also many sites with huge selections of heritage -type items. For more information on this topic, visit Heritage Scrapbooking by Mary.

These are just a few ways in which I've learned over the years to cut down on Holiday shopping expenses. Just remember, by setting a budget, focusing on quality instead of quantity, look for discounts and free shipping offers, and give the gift of your time by making homemade items... you will not only save money, but feel good about the whole gift-giving process.