Every year we're faced with trying to figure out what to buy everyone on our Christmas list. Doesn't it seem that no matter what time of year, the Christmas gift giving season is always bearing down upon us? Wouldn't it great to be considered the best gift-giver in your family? You want to find just the right gift for each person on your list. You don't want to be run of the mill and you don't want the typical, boring gifts that get stuffed into a closet and forgotten until it is re-gifted to someone else. You definitely don't want to be the person who's known as a great source of re-gifting.

Stores can be crowded, but you can easily walk out with your gift in hand. Online shopping can be convenient and easy to find a great deal, but the shipping can be delayed and you may find that the gift giving time comes and you are empty handed. Or if you can find gifts that can be delivered by expedited mail, then you're good to go shopping online. But if you are a last minute shopper you need to hit the stores.

The Budget Conscious Gift

Often times it is prudent to have a budget before you start your holiday shopping. This could be due to a limited income or large family or simply an agreement among the participants that no one will spend more than a certain amount. Now, low cost is a subjective term and inexpensive is in the eye of the beholder, but these ideas should help to at least give you some direction.

1. Digital Camera - there are tons of very affordable digital cameras on the market, some as cheap as $20. Children love getting this type of gift and children as young as 9 or 10 can handle their own camera these days.

2. Movie Tickets - if you have a movie buff on your gift giving list, this is always a hit. You can buy tickets to their favorite theater or a gift card from a popular video rental store. Create a bundle all wrapped up that includes some microwave popcorn, a couple cans of soda, and the movie gift certificates, and you could be a hero to a few of the kids on your list.

3. Tea or Coffee Drinker - Pick up a couple of types of tea or coffee and a small container of honey. Get a couple of tea cups from your local dollar store; put it all in a basket and the tea or coffee drinker on your list.

4. A Romantic Evening - Place in a basket two champagne glasses, a bottle of champagne/brut/asti spumanti and a couple of candles make a great gift for a couple and usually runs $20 to $25.

5. Grab Bags - Package several affordable gifts in individual packages and put them all in one sack. Kids and teens love this idea, but so do many adults. For children, consider buying bubble gum, a pair of movie tickets, super balls and a deck of cards. For adults, stuff the bag with a DVD, a CD, a book and a bottle of wine.

Slightly Higher-Priced Gifts

1. Sports, Theatre or Concert Tickets - These are always a great hit. Professional sports game tickets to the NFL, Golf, NHL or MLB or a college sports game tickets make excellent gift ideas. Concert, opera or Broadway tickets are fantastic ideas for the culture set. Maybe even consider buying them show tickets to a place they plan on going to in the near future. For example, if they're going to Las Vegas, buy a pair of Las Vegas show tickets.

2. Sports Car - OK, you aren't actually buying them a sports car, but you can rent a cool sports car for a day. This is a fun gift but may cost a little.

3. Bed & Breakfast ? Take your pick of areas and purchase some time at a bed and breakfast for the person on your list who needs to get away from it all. A nice weekend can run you a few dollars, but it is a gift that is thoughtful and, in a sense, practical.

4. Interesting Bookends - If you have an avid reader who needs something whimsical to hold up their books, check out fishbowl bookends. You fill each bookend with water, rocks, plants and, you guessed it, fish, and you have a nifty way to hold up your books. Of course there are other interesting bookends you could buy as well that you could try to match their other interests.

5. Lobster Gram ? Wondering what to get the person who's got it all already? If they are a connoisseur of fine dining, why not send them a Lobster Gram? The cool thing about this gift is that you can send a set of lobster tails, some surf and turf or the tried and true live lobster.

To be considered a hero around the holidays you don't need to spend a lot of money. Rather, by truly listening to the person's hobbies, interests, opinions and tastes, and then buying something that supports these things is the solution. Now go out and have some fun being creative with your gifts!