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The holidays are in full swing, and many parents are feeling the sting of the recession. If your budget is slim and you aren't sure how to stretch it, consider these tips.

First of all, create a list of everyone you need to buy for. Go through the list and see if there are some people that can be trimmed or if there are those that you could do a low-cost item for - for example, baking a treat for neighbors, the bus driver and your co-workers.

Second, create a budget for each person on your list. If you fill stockings, don't forget to include that amount in your overall budget, as those items can add up quickly.

Third, write down several ideas for each person on your list along with the estimated cost of each. Star the "must-have" item or items for each person. Scour the sales flyers and the Internet to find the best price for those. Buy early as demands will be high and prices will remain consistent.

Next, look through your list for additional ways to save. Can you "bundle" gifts for siblings or families that will produce one higher priced item, but result in overall savings - for example, a board game for your nephews or a movie basket or DVD collection for the entire family?

Another way to make your dollars go a little farther is to combine your gift-giving allowance with someone else. This allows you to purchase an item for someone perhaps a little nicer than you would have been able to do on your own. My brother and I have done this for years for our parents.

When you begin shopping, be sure to look at resale and consignment stores. I've gotten some real deals there and most of the items I purchase are new, with tags - still in their original shrink-wrap. It takes a little time to sort through the items, but in the end, it can be well worth it!

Make it fun

Who says you can't buy happiness? Last year at Christmas, my sister-in-law purchased several small gift items - everything from boxed mac and cheese to small Lego kits to lottery tickets, placed each in brown paper bag and played BINGO with the kids! Each time someone won, the winner got to choose a bag and keep whatever was inside. She spent less than $50 for eight children aged 5-18, entertained them, saved a great deal from what she usually spends by purchasing individual gifts - and my kids still talk about that being the best part of Christmas last year.

Give the gift of experience

Do you have a special skill or hobby? If so, give a gift certificate to teach or use that skill. My best friend has mentioned several times she would like to learn how to quilt. This year, I'm giving her a quilting lesson, complete with a shopping trip through my fabric stash.

Put a frame around it

Take a picture, stick it in a Christmas card and it's OK. But, convert the picture to black and white, mat it on a piece of cardstock, stick it in a cheap frame - and you've got yourself a GIFT!

The same applies with a comic, a scripted saying, an old calendar picture or a child's drawing - frame it, and it's art.

This can be a highly personalized gift that the receiver will find particularly touching. Look for picture of the recipient as a child, the recipient's grandparents, and their parents' wedding, and so on. Memorabilia from the recipient's childhood or favorite team or band are also great ideas.

The gift that keeps on giving

Magazines are something most everyone enjoys and they continue to arrive all year. So, in my opinion, they make great gifts! Most magazine subscriptions are reasonably priced and many times will offer a two-for-one deal at some point throughout the year. You can find a magazine for almost any hobby, collection or interest.

Computerize it

If you own a computer or just have access to one, the gift ideas are endless. Here are just a few gift ideas that are just a few keyboard clicks away:

• Convert old family videos to DVDs and provide the entire family with copies.

• Create a digital recipe book. When my mother-in-law went to Florida a few years back, I "borrowed" her recipe box and created a digital version that I then gave to her daughters and granddaughters for Christmas. I even scanned a few she and her mother had handwritten. Include family traditions and stories with recipes, as well.

• Create an mp3 file of you reading a book. Give the file along with a copy of the book as a gift. This provides a great read-along for smaller children and beginning readers.

• Print your own coloring pages and make a personalized coloring book.

Replicate it

There are many things my mother, grandmother and mother-in-law have that are desired by many in the family. Most of these items aren't expensive, rather they have sentimental value. Many of these items I've found at antique stores for under $10 that I've given as gifts to those I know especially liked something. I've also re-created new pieces. One family member has a snowman candy cane holder that I was able to find multiple unpainted copies of for an extremely reasonable price. I then painted them to look like the original and have used as them as gifts many times, always with a great response.

Re-create it

Re-create something you already have for instance, take a board game and personalize it for your family. Make Monopoly "Mynopoly" by changing names to things that relate to you and your family. Make your own "Guess Who" game by creating a page with family photos. Customize the game Life by adding your own family stories, and so on.

- Angela Chastain is the creator of Got Kids Newsletter in Litchfield County, Conn. An Indiana native, she is a freelance writer and lives with her husband and three sons in New Milford, Conn.

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