It's a struggle for many to afford Christmas presents for family and friends. Here's some ideas for low-cost gifts:

* Make a book of vouchers. This would have to be the cheapest and easiest gift to make. Vouchers can be for baby-sitting, house cleaning, massages, cook dinner, breakfast in bed, a simple cuddle, etc. Just use whatever suits the recipient.

* Make your own hampers. For eg, this year I'm giving a family member a hamper of bathroom items - just fill a small basket or box with items such as tissues, soap, cotton buds, cotton wool balls, deodorant, toothpaste, etc, how much you spend is up to you. I found it cheaper to go to the bargain stores (around here I go to Go-Lo and The Reject Shop). The items are much cheaper than in the supermarket and there's nothing wrong with them. You might like to do a food hamper - go through your own cupboards, you'd be amazed at how much you can find that's been sitting there for some time and needs to be used.

* You can pick up cheap glasses or cups and fill them with lollies or chocolates. I once needed something cheap to give a friends boys so I bought Christmas cups and filled them with lollies - the boys loved them!

* Fill jars with all sorts of things and decorate them. You can give jars of lollies, jars of buttons, jars of small home-made biscuits, jars of pot poiree, jars of hair bands, etc, there are many possibilities.

* Make your own goodies to give as gifts. Biscuits, chocolates, rum balls, rocky road, or whatever - place in cellophane and tie with pretty ribbon.

* Have the internet? Have a printer? Make colouring-in books for children. If you search the net you can find colouring-in pictures to print in almost any character. Eg, you can find pics from Cars, Over The Hedge, Harry Potter, Barbie, Shrek, Bratz, Winx, Superman, Batman....etc, etc, there are so many! Print the out and staple together into a book.

There's a few ideas. I've often found that, upon mentioning some of these things to others, they respond with, "oh, wow, I never would have thought of that" so that's why I put them in here, for those who may not think of such things. Merry Christmas!