With the holidays coming up, it is time to start shopping for gifts. However, for many people, money is tight. Buying throughout the year and spreading out the cost is ideal. However, most people don’t think about it so far in advance. Fortunately, there are ways to afford Christmas presents even when money is tight. Here are four of the best ideas.

Make Homemade Gifts

Homemade gifts are one of the best gift ideas for when money is tight. This is because they are cheap and have strong personal meaning. Homemade gifts can be anything. You can write a story, knit a scarf, make a mix tape or compile old home movies. For the Christmas season, baked goods are particularly popular. You can try out new recipes and make some delicious presents. If you have ever wanted to pick up an artistic talent, now might be the time to start practicing. A gift that means something special to someone will always leave more of an impression than something bought off the shelf. Even if it is not a work of artistic genius, your recipient will still appreciate the one-of-a-kind gift.

Shop Deals

Deals and sales, of course, are some of the best ways to save money on gifts. Most companies hold frequent or large sales as the Christmas season gets underway. Black Friday, whether in-stores or online, is of course full of amazing deals. The deals offered on Black Friday are often among the best throughout the year. Scouring auction sites like eBay can net you some sweet deals too. Finally, always see if you can use coupons, like a groopdealz coupon. These sites gather active coupons for shoppers to use.

Buy Used

Some may see buying a used item as a gift as tacky. However, your friends and family will likely understand if money is tight. There are also cases when it makes a lot of sense to buy used. For example, sometimes an item is vintage or out of print, and buying used is your only option. In other cases, whether an item is used or new won’t make much difference. For example, little kids won’t notice or care if a gift is new or used. Items purchased for your kids can even be resold when outgrown. They can also be resold if it’s an item your kids don’t turn out to like very much. Also, if you shop specifically for used items marked as “like new,” you can save money while still giving an item that looks new.

Explore Alternative Options

There are a number of alternative options for buying or even getting free items to give as gifts. One good idea is to go through your things and see if you can find any old gift cards. If you aren’t going to use them for yourself, use them to buy gifts for other people. You can even get free gift cards. This often happens through store promotions. Stores do this during the holidays where if you spend a certain amount you get a free gift card. You can use the card to buy gifts or give the card itself as a gift.

You can sell some of your old things to make money for Christmas presents. Finally, consider taking people off your gift-buying list. If they haven’t gotten gifts for you or your children in several years, don’t bother. Finally, you can give “gift cards” of your own. These can be for your time and talent, such as mowing the lawn or pet care.

You can still find excellent gifts for everyone on your list while pinching pennies. All it takes is a little creative thinking and doing. Both your wallet and your gift recipient will thank you.