We all know that Black Friday is just around the corner. For some that means planning their shopping trip ( did you know that you can get maps of the stores so you know just where to run when the doors open?), waiting in lines, and spending lots of money.

Oh yes, I read most of the flyers and see all those good deals too. The difference is that I rarely go shopping on Black Friday. I dislike the crowds and the roads that are packed with people going shopping.

I have found that if there is a good deal that is just the perfect gift, I can usually buy it online for the same price or cheaper. Also a lot of those good deals are repeated later in the season when you can shop at a less busier time.

Also by Black Friday I usually have a lot of my Christmas shopping done. I keep my eyes open all year for items that I know my children would enjoy. Even some yard sale finds can make a treasured gift.

There are many ways that you can save on gifts. A few weeks ago I discovered that I had some points on a credit card that I could redeem. For a couple of thousand points I was able to get two 25.00 and one 10.00 gift cards. The perfect gift for those folks that you don’t know what to get.

Another thing about gift cards is to make sure you get a bonus when you buy them. Giant will give you extra gas points when you buy gift cards. Turkey Hill usually has the 12 days of Christmas when each day certain gift cards give you money off of gas. Or buy them through My Points and earn points. Or buy them from Ebay and get them for less then full value.

Look around and see how many gift cards you have that you could spend toward gifts. Sometimes we have some laying around that still have some money left on them. Just call the number on the back to see how much value is left.

Check out to see if you have any points you can redeem on your My points account. If you haven’t gotten an account for them you should.  If you buy online from Ebay or other stores you can first log into My Points and then when you buy from stores you earn points according to how much you spend. Then you can redeem your points for gift cards.

When buying gifts online always go to Retail Me Not and search for a coupon code for the store you are buying from. The other week I was ordering pictures from Shutterfly and I was able to get 3 codes and they let me use them all which resulting in my pictures being less then half price and also free shipping. Most stores will at least have a free shipping code.

If you know what gift you are looking for then just Google  it and you will see all the stores that have the item and how much the item is selling for.

Another way to avoid the stores is to make your gifts. Some of the most favorite gifts we have recieved as a family are gifts that a person made. We have gotten and also given homemade candy, pumpkin rolls, meats and cheeses, fruit baskets, cookies, and caramel popcorn.

Maybe some of you are crafty and like to make things. Homemade scarfs, doll clothes, pajamas, flower arrangements, or wooden cutting boards to mention a few.

You may not be able to think of anything that you can give so how about giving coupons for something you like to do. A car wash and wax, babysitting, cleaning, hair cut, and the list could go on.

But you say that you need cash for that certain gift that you just must buy. Look around your house and find like new stuff that you never use and sell it on Ebay. Very simple and it is easy to make 100.00 in a few days. Or you could sell things on Craigslist or Facebook. Maybe you like to make Christmas cookies and you have friends that would rather buy them from you then make them.

There are so many simple and appreciated gifts that you can give that don’t have to cost very much. What does your family do to save money on gifts?