1.    For your sister Sally: gather your favourite childhood photos, log on to kodakgallery.ca and make a personalized calendar for under $30 that ships in just a week’s time!

2.    For Mama: Keep her hip, by giving her the gift of a magazine subscription. A one year subscription to her favorite magazine can be less than $20, and gives her an excuse for a little extra 'me time'.

3.    For Billy the boyfriend: Give him a gift that keeps on giving, plus ensures he remains cool as a cucumber the whole year through. Threadless.com, a website featuring t-shirts designed by civilians like us, features the Threadless 12 Club. For $200 he receives a unique, conversation-starting t-shirt at his doorstep every month for one year.

4.    For the BFF: Instead of forking over $70+ for fragrance for a friend, give her the gift of convenience with the Sephora Scent Sampler for $50 that features 10 different scents in handy purse sized tubes.
 

5.    For Aunt Helda:  Put the groove back in your Auntie’s step, by making her the ultimate Grade 8 mix tape (but on CD of course to ensure you’re living in the 21st century). Download the best of the 80s (who can resist a little Lionel?), your favourite slow grooves from the 90s, or ‘all ages’ hits like Dido or Sarah McLaughlin’s new singles, and send Aunt Helda’s hips swaying.

6.    For the girlie gift exchange: Create the ultimate beauty booty. Visit a low price retailer like Zellers, and stock up on the cheap with delicious lip glosses and vibrant eye shadows. Package in a cute re-useable container from the housewares or storage section of the store, and voila – a tickle trunk of beauty products worth coveting.

7.    For the niece Natalie: Bring her back to when childhood was simple, and the X-Box wasn’t every kids dream.  Put together a kit of early childhood favourites such as Play-Doh, a skipping rope and the ‘hours of fun’ provider, the Slinky.

Happy giving! Who knew an economic downturn could be so much fun?