The holidays are arriving, and with them comesthe stress of gift buying. Choosing the right Christmas gifts can be hardenough on its own, but its even harder if you are operating under arestricted, or even nonexistent, budget. Here is a list of seven gifts you canconsider giving when you dont have a lot of money to do your Christmasshopping.

1. Services

If you dont have much money to spare but havethe ability to perform a service, you can offer that as a gift instead ofmaterial possessions. For example, you can offer lawn mowing, dog walking, carwashing, painting, babysitting, gutter cleaning or any number of other servicesyour recipient might appreciate. Anything that you know how to do well and thatyour friends and family could use makes a great gift.

2. Handmade Art or Crafts

There are plenty of exceptionally talentedartists who make crafts, clothing, visual art and more that make great gifts.Whats more, artistic gifts are not only unique and thoughtful but you alsosupport artists when you buy from them. If you are a creative type yourself,you can even make gifts for others that dont cost much. These gifts are oftenseen as more personal anyway because you had to put the time, effort and loveinto making something yourself to give as a gift.

3. The Basics

As much as many people want fancy gifts or newgadgets for Christmas, the basic items you need can be highly appreciated. Forexample, you may notice that a friend could use better kitchen utensils or thatyour wife is running low on razor blades. Basic gifts like these may not bethat exciting or expensive, but they show that you pay attention to the needsand wants of others. It helps them save just a little bit of money in everydaylife.

4. Books

Books are relatively cheap and they encompassmany different subject matters. This makes it easy to find books everyone onyour gift list will love. Hardcovers tend to be more expensive, but paperbacksand especially ebooks are often cheap. Ebooks can actually be given as gifts quiteeasily, and many are cheap or even free. There are literally tens of thousandsof great reads just waiting to be discovered.

5. A Game

Board games are the gift that keeps on giving.Every time your recipient plays it, the experience will be different. They area fun, social thing to do with others. Aside from board games, collectible cardgames, such as Magic: The Gathering, also do not cost much for a pack of cardsbut such a gift will be appreciated by a stalwart player of the game. Evenvideo games, which are typically quite expensive when they are first released,go down in value over the next year or so to the point where they become quitereasonably priced as well. Digital games, sold by platforms like Steam, go onsale frequently and are often quite cheap as well.

6. Alcohol

Unless your recipient is underage or does notdrink, its hard to go wrong with alcohol as a gift. Some bottles can, ofcourse, be very expensive, but others are not. The Yellow Tail and Barefootbrands are inexpensive and fairly good, as are fancier varieties such asBodegas Nekeas Vega Sindoa Tempranillo, La Vieille Ferme Rosé and La VieilleFerme Côtes du Luberon Blanc. Alcohol may not always be the most personal giftin the world, but most people are appreciative to receive it, making it a goodgift option if you dont know your recipient well.

Other Tips

If your recipient isnt the sort to care aboutgetting a secondhand gift, theres no shame in buying used. Some items areimpossible to get new and have to be bought used if they are no longer beingproduced. Whether you decide to buy new or used, be sure to shop sales or usecoupons to save as much money on your purchase as possible. Sites likeYippeeCoupons.com are an excellent source for coupons you can use on sites likeAmazon and others to purchase gifts.

Hopefully this list has provided you with someinspiration for how to Christmas shop for everyone on your list withoutbreaking the bank. Happy shopping!