How's your holiday spirit doing? If you're like most folks, your Christmas spirit is slightly giddy with a strong chance of ANXIETY when it comes to paying for everything. Well, you can have the Christmas giddiness AND a healthy bank account if you follow our 8 budgeting and deal hunting rules for a frugal Christmas!

photo credit: scottfeldstein

...and just IN

CASE you had NO IDEA what TO get the people who make it TO your "NICE" list, we offer you 686 gift ideas that are under $20. Don't worry - it's NOT just one LONG list OF ideas - it's one LONG list OF lists broken down TO $5, $10

AND $20 gifts

WITH

our favorite ideas pulled OUT :) You can scan our favorites

AND see IF anything pops OUT at you,

OR click through TO the list

AND see the whole thing.

CHECK OUT 102 Holiday Deal Spotters ON Twitter TO find SOME great deals USING Twitter!

Click TO a section

OR just scroll ON through:

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The 3 Crucial Christmas Budget Rules

==>

The 5 Rules OF Finding Great Christmas Deals

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686 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $20

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Gifts Beyond Price: Ideas FOR Reinventing the Spirit OF Christmas

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A Little Something Extra Under the Tree

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The 3 Crucial Budgeting Rules FOR a Frugal Christmas

Though a budget may NOT seem festive, creating one AND sticking TO it will be the best possible gift you can give your household this Christmas season. Your Christmas budget

a gift TO yourself that keeps giving ALL YEAR LONG, especially FOR folks who typically

END up neck-deep IN debt LONG AFTER the gifts are unwrapped.

photo credit: spiderpop

Rule 1) Use a Christmas Budget Spreadsheet

IF you don't have a method FOR creating your Christmas budget,

there's no reason TO "reinvent the wheel." We found several pre-made Christmas budget worksheets that you can MODIFY TO fit your needs.

Try ANY OF these Christmas budget worksheets:

>
Christmas List Budget Worksheet FROM Thrifty Fun
>
the Christmas Shopping List Planner FROM Home Ever AFTER
>
the Christmas Budget 2009 FROM Planning
WITH
Kids
>
OR the Holiday Gift Spending Worksheet FROM Erin Huffstetler at About.com

Rule 2) Make a Recipient List AND SET a Budget FOR Gifts

Make a list OF everyone who you'd LIKE TO give a gift TO this holiday season. THEN

write down your budget FOR the holidays - that

- how much money you have SET aside FOR the holidays. The spreadsheets above will help you DO this!

IF you need help brainstorming who AND what you may need TO budget FOR during the holidays, CHECK OUT Enjoy a Simple Christmas

WITH

a Well-Planned Budget

AS well AS How TO

SET Your Christmas Budget

. Now,

TO divvy up your budget...

Rule 3) CHECK Your List Twice... OR Thrice ;

)

Once you see how far you have TO stretch your budget you may

BEGIN

thinking more about jumping down TO the "Gifts Beyond Price" section below... Remember that you can still spread holiday cheer

WITH

cards,

visits

AND possibly even something

FROM

our Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas section below!

==>

The 5 Rules OF Finding Great Christmas Deals

The only thing better than setting a budget FOR Christmas

coming IN UNDER budget... that's why you have TO hunt FOR great deals! Black Friday AND Cyber Monday have got you covered. Be sure TO CHECK OUT these tips AND SAVE big this Christmas.

photo credit: ttt11

Rule 4) Look FOR Deals ONLY FOR the Items (AND People) ON Your List

Steep discounts make it easy TO get lured INTO an impulse purchase, either FOR yourself OR your loved ones. Make sure you're only buying items ON your list BY printing it AND bringing it

WITH

you! You can even take things a step further BY creating store

OR website-specific lists TO keep your budget ON track.

Rule 5) The Internet

Your Deal-Finding FRIEND

Smart AND frugal deal hunters created deal sites such

(cough, cough) FRESHDEALS.com TO help find you great deals online. Search your favorite coupon sites,

well

the retailers' sites (especially ON Black Friday OR Cyber Monday) FOR ads you might have missed IN the newspaper.

Google Alerts will send you an email

IF ANY OF the gifts you're searching FOR show up anywhere ON the web. AND

IF you're a Twitter USER,

CHECK OUT 102 Holiday Deal Spotters ON Twitter TO plug yourself INTO a never-ending deal flow!

Rule 6) Bring ALL Ads, Coupons AND Offers IN Store

WITH

You (Black Friday)

Keep your coupons,

ads

AND special offers IN hand AS you CHECK OUT

AND make sure you get that discount! Black Friday IS a mad rush

AND honest mistakes will happen. This will come IN handy further WHEN trying TO get retailers TO honor the ads

AND offers OF competitors. This will OF course mean you will need TO buy your local paper ON Thanksgiving Day... Often (though NOT always) retailers won't honor coupons

OR other advertisements you PRINT

FROM

the internet.

Rule 7) Bring Food, Helpful Friend, Calculator, Map, Caffeine, Extra Parking Lot (Black Friday)

Black Friday

taxing,

AND NOT just because OF the government. Be sure TO bring food so you don't have TO waste TIME AND money ON refueling. Bring a helpful friend who doesn't need TO shop who can help navigate,

hold AND otherwise support your shopping blitz. Bring a calculator TO help you stay ON budget,

AND be sure TO map OUT your trip before hand,

along

WITH

alternate routes

AND even alternate stores. FOR the best,

"doorbuster" deals you may need caffeine TO stay up ALL night,

OR even START shopping at 12:01 Thanksgiving night. Finally,

IF you have room,

see IF you can't bring an extra parking lot

WITH

you ;

)

Rule 8) Remember Free Shipping DAY ON December 17th!

IF you miss OUT ON CyberMonday deals, you can still find great last minute online deals

WITH

delivery BY Christmas Eve at FreeShippingDay.com. Free Shipping DAY IS December 17th,

AND there are currently 280 online retailers ready TO ship FOR free!

==>

686 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $20

These 686 frugal gift ideas may NOT blow your mind. What they WILL DO though

get your mind up OFF the couch AND jogging down the street OF gift giving wonderland. We found 33 gift filled lists AND pulled our favorite ideas OUT OF each. You can scroll through our list OF lists AND pick one that sounds interesting TO get even more ideas... Get going, Santa - there's NOT much TIME left!

photo credit: dnorman

78 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $5

Because sometimes $5

ALL you have. AND we're fine

WITH

that... Make sure your recipient IS fine

WITH

it too BY getting inspiration

FROM

these great lists. Make your $5 shine!

>
25 great gifts FOR $5 OR less: Flashlight, oven mitts, coffee mug, measuring cup, ornaments...
>
7 Gifts (Unbelievably) Under $5: Gourmet tea, vase, candle sticks... (slide show)
>
20 Gift Ideas Under 5 Dollars: Calendar, candle, lip gloss...
>
6 Best Gifts Under $5: Reusable shopping bag, seeds, socks...
>
10 $5 Gift Ideas FOR Everyone ON Your List: Ideas FROM Big Lots, KMart, Target...
>
10 gift ideas under 5 dollars: Mini umbrella, wine tote, candy, puzzle book...

165 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $10

$10 gifts aren't necessarily twice

good

$5 gifts. OR half

good

$20 gifts. The perfect $10 gift

the one that you spend a little extra TIME IN picking OUT AND presenting!

>
63 Gift Ideas FOR Under $10: Pound OF pistachios, gardening gloves, GREAT pair OF socks, board games...
>
23 Cheap Christmas Gifts Under $10: juicer, cosmetics bag, serving bowl
>
10 Cheap Gifts FOR Under 10 Dollars: picture AND frame, bargain book bin, blank journal...
>
15 Gift Ideas Under Ten Dollars: golf balls, purse, jigsaw puzzle...
>
5 Christmas Gifts Under Ten Dollars: bath supplies gift basket medly, a tea candle SET
>
10 Great Gift Ideas FOR Under Ten Dollars: specialty cook books, photo album, STOP watch, discount DVD bin
>
12 Ultimate Gifts Under $10: luxury body powder, decorative hand soaps, toiletry kit (slide show)
>
7 Best Gifts Under $10: plastic grocery bag holder/dispenser, gift certificate FOR used book store, blank greeting cards...
>
10 Gift Ideas Under 10 Dollars: Popcorn + Blockbuster certificate, trip TO bowling alley...
>
10 Gifts Under 10 Dollars: Mirror, digital timer...

182 Christmas Gift Ideas FOR Under $20

$20

about

expensive a gift can get AND still be called "frugal."

IF you're a high-rolling frugalist, these under-$20 gift ideas really deliver.

>
59 Ideas FOR Christmas gifts under $20: Art supplies, slippers, bird feeder, cash...
>
16 Home Design Gifts Under $20: coasters, post cards, stem ware... (slide show FROM Oprah.com)
>
12 Great Gifts Under $20: novelty ice cube tray, Moleskine notebooks, the Slush Mug (slide show)
>
25 Great Green Gifts FOR Under $20: staple-free stapler, recycled plastic umbrella, keychain shopping bag (slide show)
>
10 highly-stylish gifts under $20: book OF crafts, sustainable t shirts, iPhone skins
>
20 Gifts FOR Under $20: cookie cutters, classic holiday DVDs, pop up books, birthday week newspapers AND magazines...
>
13 Frugal Finds Under $20: camera
CASE, salad server SET (slide show)
>
7 Gifts Under $20: mufflers, hand-painted dreidel, cutting board (slide show)
>
10 Bargain Gifts Under $20 (FROM seventeen.com): the "Doorganizer", PJs, ID
CASE, LED keychain (slide show)
>
Top 10 Good Christmas Gifts ($20 OR Less) FOR Bad Gift Givers: Christmas music sampler, scrap book, gift card

261 "Frugal" Gift Ideas (no price mentioned)

The creators OF these lists didn't put a price tag ON their suggestions. Crafts, baked goods AND "experience" gifts rank high here, though you will still find SOME fantastic ideas TO spend your money on.

>
20 last-minute (AND cheap) gift ideas: Cash, donations, magazine subscriptions, herbs...
>
24 Quick, Easy, Cheap Gift Ideas: 24 variations ON gift baskets AND gift jars - warning, chock FULL OF bad puns...
>
101 frugal christmas present ideas: lap blanket, knife, tie, cuff links
>
50 Frugal Christmas Ideas: unwrap AND read a book a DAY (book you already owned), family slumber party, string popcorn
>
6 Inexpensive Christmas Gifts: more variations ON baskets - crafty-oriented
>
10 Sources FOR Free Christmas Gifts: use your rewards
AS
gifts...(?)
>
50 Frugal Gifts You Can Give This Christmas: buy a single stock, coupon books, "get warm" kit

==>

Gifts Beyond Price: Reinventing the Spirit OF Christmas

SOME people feel the longing FOR more OF the Spirit OF Christmas... these resources will help you dream up ways TO bring SOME magic TO your Christmas celebrations this year.

photo credit: michellardi

59 Ways TO Celebrate Your Buy Nothing Christmas: a "make or bake" exchange, write a poem, tell a story, draw a picture OR take a photograph, coupons that offer free housecleaning, a neck massage OR a special treat

Giving Experiences, NOT Things, This Holiday Season: field trips, home cooked meals, plan a trip, free night OF baby sitting

The Four Things Children Really Want FOR Christmas: a relaxed AND loving TIME

WITH

the family,

realistic gift expectations,

reliable traditions

==>

A Little Something Extra Under the Tree

During our research we found TONS OF great money-saving resources FOR the holiday season... Here are a few that were too fresh, fun AND sometimes funny TO keep TO ourselves.

photo credit: liangjinjian

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276 MORE Ways TO SAVE Money During Christmas

What? You're still here? You still want more ways TO have a frugal Christmas? Ok, ok! IN the spirit OF generosity, here are 276 more ways TO SAVE money ;

)

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