Xmas gift ideas for the financially challenged

[riderinthestorm]

I try to avoid the craziness of putting a lot of money on credit cards for gifts that aren't going to be appreciated. So every year it's a challenge to try to come up with inexpensive gifts for neighbors, friends, etc. that aren't "cheap" but are inexpensive.

Since everyone around here appears to be on a budget this year, how about some ideas on gifts?

This year I went to the Goodwill and resale shops and found more than 40 NEW hardback books, their spines unbroken, for a buck or less. Great fiction titles like Madeline L'Engle, Dick Francis, and Carol Goodman. Brand new kids books: Holes, A View From Saturday, Susan Cooper's fantasy series, and more. Plus scores of miscellaneous like Bill Clinton's memoir, cookbooks, and coffee table books.

They were books nobody would be able to discern came from the resale shops - they are brand new!

I'm actually excited about gift giving this year. The books are all some of my favorites, most of them selected for their recipients with some degree of thought - I would have spent a fortune at the local B and N, but instead I saved hundreds of dollars.

Anyone else?

[MsAnthropy]

1. Coupons for services to be rendered is a good one

to be redeemed at the receiver's convenience--cooking, cleaning, shopping, snow shoveling, movie or play, or whatever your talent might be.

[Lars39]

2. There's some good ideas in this forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=353

[MsAnthropy]

3. Thanks! I didn't know that forum was there