We were walking into the hardware store the other night to look at home improvement materials and the boys noticed the display of Christmas trees in the front window.

It was the middle of October!

But, as many people I know set goals to have their Christmas shopping done by a certain date prior to Christmas, I started thinking about Christmas shopping as well.

While Christians knowingly should be focused on Christ's birthday, the secular consumer-driven world often seeps into our lives.  Unless you've sequestered your family from the world, your children may get the gimmies for a particular item.  

Instead of breaking the bank and going into debt (or even more debt, depending on your financial situation!) this Christmas season, there are some options you can use to enable you to get those special items.  I can't guarantee everything on your shopping list can be bought through these means, but it's always worth a try.

First, check discount and bargain stores such as ALDI (www.aldi.com ), Big Lots (www.biglots.com), Montgomery Wards (www.wards.com), Marshalls (www.marshallsonline.com), TJ Maxx (www.tjmaxx.com), Costco (www.costco.com), Schottenstein stores (www.valuecity.com) and Gabriel Brothers (www.gabrielbrothers.com). I'm sure there are others similar to these across the country; since I live in the mid-West, those are the ones I know about. These stores don't always carry the same brands or items, what's on their web site may not be in their stores (if you plan to buy in person, call first), but you can save some money buying name-brand products from them instead of major retail chains.

An example of how you can save (on a fairly unnecessary item, mind you):  I visited Costco's web site and found the Pioneer Inno Portable XM Satellite Radio, with a $50 mail-in rebate, at $229.  At BestBuy's web site the same item was $299 (they do have a mail-in rebate offered as well, so it would be $249).  You'd have to take into consideration shipping as well, but you can see the difference, in any case.

Use price comparison shopping methods offered on Yahoo Shopping (or Google).  You can find good deals by comparing various prices and sellers online, but be careful of seller ratings and feedback -- some sellers may not be the best to buy from simply because they have your item for the least price if they have a poor service record!

If you have people on your gift giving list who are into video games, audio books, books and movies, there are many sites that offer discounted or inexpensive shopping options!  In addition to their regular-priced merchandise, both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com ) have other seller options -- often at a discounted method.  You still pay Amazon or Barnes and Noble, but someone else, often a book seller located elsewhere in the world, ships the item to you (similar to you paying e-bay and then e-bay pays the seller; the seller never sees your credit card number).  I recently bought a very hard-to-find book our son wanted to complete a series he had; the book was published in September 2005, but was never readily available in the US. Even Amazon listed the book (Barnes and Noble did not!), but it was never available -- finally, it was listed as available on Amazon, but through an Amazon associate seller... and it was at a discounted price! What a great deal.

For must-have books, check into e-bay stores and auctions as well as www.half.com (which is run by e-bay).  If you have a Half-Price Books If there is a Half Price Books (www.halfpricebooks.com) near you, you can shop in person as well.  Check locally owned book sellers and discount book sellers as well.  They not only sell books, but audio books, DVDs, video tapes, music and video games.

Most of the stores listed above offer computer programs.  Elementary-age children, tweens, teens and adults alike can use "self-guided" learning programs -- tutorial programs that teach the basics for using every-day computer software such as Works, Excel, Dreamweaver and PowerPoint, as well as teaching typing skills are all good computer gift ideas.

If you're looking for Christian gift items, check out Christianbooks.com (www.christianbook.com) or Crossings Book Club (www.crossings.com). Online resources such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and e-bay will also carry a lot of Christian items if you know what you're looking for.  Catholic sites such as American Catholic (www.americancatholic.org) also offer shopping options.

Other ideas that go beyond shopping:

If someone on your list desires a scarf and hat set, and you're able to crochet or knit, make them!  (Be aware, however, that simply purchasing them could be less expensive when you consider the price of some skeins of yarn (and your time) compared to a $10 scarf/hat/mitten set at a store!)  If someone you know just had a baby, perhaps you can give them yourself:  a present of personalized (computer made) certificates redeemable to YOU for baby-sitting time is a God-send for new parents (especially if they now have more than one child!).

Baked goods can be great gifts for the "single" family and friends on your list (especially those who are male!).  Homemade cookies, candies and individually wrapped cakes are a great way to tell them you're thinking about them.  

Handmade book marks and framed pictures are interesting and appreciated presents.  Your library probably has books on "paper cutting" crafts and you can easily make fancy, homemade decorative items using this method. Even your children can do this type of project, with supervision.   

So, there you go.  If shopping is your thing, there are easy ways to get by without spending a ton of money. And if it is not, there are plenty of gifts you can make yourself as well.  I would say "Merry Christmas" here, but since it's still October, it's not quite the time... yet! Peace.

Wendy Lomano maintains AtHomeParent.com.  She is a wife and mom and now works part-time at her city's local library, as well as with her husband for the company they started in 2005.