The holiday season is a time of getting together with family, close friends, long-lost friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and sometimes even complete strangers. While all these parties, gatherings and events are fun and make the holiday season what it is, they can also become very expensive. So here are some suggestions to help you get through this festive season debt-free!

Christmas Parties
So after being invited to other people's Christmas parties year after year, you've decided it's time to throw your own party! There are 3 major categories that have to be considered - Food, beverages and decorations.

Food
Don't make a dinner, make a party and start at 8! This will allow you to serve small finger foods, veggies and dip (see recipe section for easy and inexpensive holiday recipes), and some desserts. If you are cooking-challenged or just like a lot
of variety, you might want to consider doing a potluck. Ask everyone to bring their specialty or favorite holiday treat - everyone gets to try a variety of different foods (and maybe even get ideas for their own parties).

Beverages
This is a hard one to get around, as most adult
holiday parties do have alcohol, and any way you cut it, unless
you're making moonshine in your basement - and we hope
you're not - alcohol does cost money. What you can do is ask
your invitees to bring a small bottle/case of their favorite
wine, liquor or beer instead of a gift. If each person brings
something to share, everyone should have enough to drink
throughout the night, and you can be sure everyone will be
happy with at least one beverage choice (the one they
brought!).

*Note - This is the University version of a Potluck =)

Decorations
You can make your own decorations for very
little money. Go to a craft store and buy a roll of red and
green crepe paper (or whichever colors you prefer) to create
festive streamers. Once you've hung your streamers, you can
use the remaining crepe paper to make cut-out confetti (you
can cut-out stars, trees, gifts, etc.) to decorate your food and
drink tables.
You could also consider a Thanksgiving theme - you can get all
your decorations on sale! =)

Thank You Gift
Instead of the usual wine or fruit cake, why
not give them something completely original (and easy on the
pockets)? Some ideas:

A Swiss Cheese Candle
(click on the link below for detailed instructions - and don't worry, it's not actually made from swiss cheese).
http://www.familyeducation.com

Gourmet Chocolate Covered Spoons
For coffee or cocoa. Buy a package of sturdy plastic spoons, preferably in
festive colors. Dip them in chocolate (melted chocolate chips
work well) and shake off the excess. Place them on wax paper
and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. After they dry,
wrap them in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. Put a few
spoons in a coffee mug along with some individual hot cocoa
or coffee packets

Catching up with long-lost friends
Instead of meeting over a meal at a nice restaurant, or trying to 'whip up'
a 5-course meal at home, try to think of other meeting places where the
focus will be on catching up with each other, not on the daily
specials.

A cafe is a great place to meet and catch up, or go somewhere
with sentimental meaning - a community center you used as
kids, a special park (if you're in warmer areas), or maybe even
a mall hang-out for old times sake.

Another great idea is to get together for a common purpose,
such as doing some holiday shopping or making your own
homemade gifts. It gives you both the chance to finish up
more of your holiday to-do list, while having fun and catching
up!

Gift Exchanges
I'm sure most people have come across these
at some point in their lives - maybe at your workplace or a
social group. A typical gift exchange is when a group of people
decide on a certain amount of money to spend and then put
all their names in a hat and draw someone else's name. I used
to be a somewhat reluctant participant in these, probably
because I found it difficult to find that 'perfect gift' for
someone I didn't really know that well, for under $5-$15 (not
that I would want it to be higher - let's not get carried away
here =). But there are a ton of unique and fun gift ideas that
would make anyone happy

Under $5
Not to toot our own horn, but we have a really great giant
free sample offer that would make the perfect gift exchange
gift! For the cost of shipping ($3.50), you can give your
exchangee 3 full-sized pouches of our warming, yummy soups!

Under $10
A homemade gingerbread house - if you're feeling
adventurous or have a special talent for making these (if
you've never made one, you might want to buy an inexpensive
pre-made one to decorate). This is a really unique, fun gift
idea - no matter how it turns out!

Personalize it:
-Make a little doormat in icing (you can just ice an
outline) and write their name on it.

-Make a little gingerbread 'pool' and fill it with their
favorite candy, or make them a candy garden.

*** Tip - try to avoid overusing candy canes - I don't know
anyone who feels candy cane-deprived during this time of
year.

Under $15
A new best-selling novel (these are usually 30-40% off at big
book chains and you can include a gift receipt as everyone
knows how much everyone spent anyway). Most people shy
away from buying books for people they aren't close to, but
best sellers are usually the 'people-pleasers' and even if they
don't like it, they can always exchange it for one they do!

See our next section, 'Creative Holiday Gift Giving' for more
ideas.

As festive and fun as the holiday season can be, it can also be (and
usually is) very expensive. But with a little imagination and
minimal funds, you can create gifts that are personal and truly
from the heart. I had a bit of help from other sources for this
section, so I've added in the web sites after their tips.

Gift Baskets
Gift baskets make the perfect holiday gifts, since
you can make them personalized or nonspecific, cost-friendly
or extravagant - and who wouldn't like to receive a gift basket
made just for them? All you need to start is a cute basket-type
item (depending on what 'theme' you'd like your basket to
have). And fill it with whatever items you wish. For example,
you could bake some homemade holiday goodies and on the
tag write 'baked with love and a sprinkle of holiday cheer'. Or
for the hot beverage enthusiasts in your life, you can buy a
simple coffee canister from the dollar store and add some of
their favorite teas and coffees. You can dress up the canister if
you'd like by tying a ribbon around it or painting a cafe-
inspired theme on it.

Potpourri Bottles
Fill some glass bottles (from the dollar store) with things like potpourri, artificial flowers or cute plastic fruit. Fill the bottle will baby oil and then a few drops
of fragrance oil. Tie a ribbon around the bottle and add a gift
tag. A great gift, and very cheap!
http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net

A Personalized Calendar
a very simple but effective Christmas gift to make. All you need is a wall calendar (which are often handed out to customers by banks or insurance companies)
and 12 pictures of friends and family, one for each month of
the year. It would be ideal to select pictures that represent an
event in the month, for example choose one of Halloween in
October or a Christmas picture for December. Use rubber
cement to stick the pictures to the calendar making sure that
you cover the original illustration. If you cannot find any
appropriate photos, try drawing your own pictures and
illustrations. This will give the calendar a strong personal
touch; a great home-made gift for Grandparents.
www.christmas-gifts.us.com

**Another idea on the same theme - you can use Microsoft
Excel to generate a calendar and paste your pictures on the
body of each page.

Gourmet Flavor-Infused Olive Oil
A very easy and inexpensive gift idea that looks and tastes equally as impressive. Buy some dark colored oil bottles (you may even be able to find some at
your dollar store - the dark glass helps the oil stay fresh
longer). Make sure to wash them out carefully before using
them. Choose the flavor you'd like to infuse your oil with - my
personal favorite is garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, so I'll use
this to illustrate - slice up 5-7 cloves of garlic and sun-dried
tomatoes, depending on how 'flavorful' you want it. Put your
garlic and tomatoes in the oil bottle and add your olive oil to
the bottle (you can buy larger bulk-sized bottles at your
grocery store). Seal and refrigerate until you are ready to wrap
and give your gourmet gift!

A Plant Grown With Love
(the Martha Stewart approach to Christmas) Ok, so this idea is actually a little too late for this holiday season, but is perfect to start for next year! First, you
need to buy some seeds for the plant you'd like to give - this is
where you can personalize it - choose a flower or plant that
you know is their favorite, grows to be their favorite color,
etc. Buy some fertilizer and potters (you can buy the small
square plastic ones for a minimal amount) and plant your
chosen seeds. Over the year, make sure to give your plant(s)
lots of water, food and love and when the holidays roll around
next year, your 'homemade' present will be ready to give. You
can be sure that next year, you will be giving the most unique
and touching gifts they'll receive.
**Quick Fix - Assemble a 'grow-your-own' kit with the
materials listed above - they might even grow it! =)

Since there are so many great holiday recipes, and very little room, I had to narrow it down to one or two recipes per 'genre' (and have kept mainly to party and gift foods). I've also added in the web site links after each recipe so you can go and look for more!

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix
2 cups chopped pecans
4 pecan halves

1. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese,
and dressing mix. Form into one large ball or two smaller balls.
Roll in chopped pecans to coat surface. Decorate the top with
pecan halves. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

http://christmas.allrecipes.com

Spinach Balls
Makes 30-40 Spinach Balls

2 cups seasoned stuffing mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbspn chopped garlic
1 onion, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into 2 inch
balls with your hands and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400
degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

http://www.recipezaar.com

Christmas Punch
Serves 20

1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups orange juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, with juice
1 fluid ounce triple sec liqueur
1 (750 milliliter) bottle light rum
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 liter carbonated water
Ice

1. In a punch bowl, combine sugar, orange juice, and lemon
juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add cherries, triple sec, light
rum, orange slices, lemon slices, and pineapple chunks.
Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.
2. Pour in carbonated water, and add ice just before serving.

Recipe Variations
- If you find the punch a little too strong, you can dilute it with
an extra liter of carbonated water

http://beverage.allrecipes.com

Christmas Eggnog
** Author's Note: This recipe contains raw eggs. Pregnant women, children and the elderly would be well advised to stay away from this particular holiday beverage.

1 dozen eggs
12 tablespoons sugar
1 pint of Bourbon
1/2 pint Jamaica Run
1 pint heavy Cream
Nutmeg, to taste

1. In a very large bowl, beat the yolks of the eggs, gradually
adding in the sugar. When the eggs and sugar are smooth, add
the bourbon and Jamaica run, stirring while adding. Next, add
the cream and blend well.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the whites of the eggs very stiff.
Fold into the egg yolk mixture and beat with egg beater.
3. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and keep in refrigerator till
serving.

http://www.foodfunandfacts.com

Tiramisu Toffee Dessert
Serves 12

1 (10.75 ounce) package frozen prepared pound cake, thawed
and cut into 9
3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee, chopped

1. Arrange cake slices on bottom of a rectangular 11x7 inch
baking dish, cutting cake slices if necessary to fit the bottom
of the dish. Drizzle coffee over cake.
2. Beat sugar, chocolate syrup, and cream cheese in a large
bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Add whipping cream; beat on medium speed until light and
fluffy. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with chocolate-
covered toffee candy.
3. Spread frosting over cake. Sprinkle with toffee candy. Cover
and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 24
hours to set dessert and blend flavors.

Recipe Variation
-Instead of the chocolate syrup, you can substitute Bailey's Irish Cream or syrup flavor of your choice

Eggnog Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup eggnog
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tbs nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric
mixer to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg
yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until
combined. Do not overmix.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets,
1" apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
6. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.
Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net

http://www.ivillage.com
Tons of great articles on getting through Christmas on a budget.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf923517.tip.html
This is a reader's forum, where people ask for tips and other
readers give their suggestions - a great way to find new and
interesting ideas on how to save!

There are so many sites that I couldn't possible list them all.
Use your search engine and type in any keywords that come to
mind, such as 'thrifty', 'frugal', 'budget', 'crafts' or 'make-
your-own' plus 'holiday', 'christmas', 'Hanukkah' or whatever
occasion you are looking for.

"We tried your potato chowder soup, we added clams like you
suggested. It was by far the best clam chowder we have ever
had, so creamy and hearty, your soups make a great dinner for
us!! Thanks for another great meal!!"
Laura Scott, ON

"I made the chicken noodle soup that fed 17 people. It was
great tasting and not salty like alot of other soups. It's
appearance and color was so healthy looking and appealing.
Fantastic soup!"
Mary Gregor, MN

"This may a LITTLE more complicated to prepare than opening
a can, but boy is it worth it! I had forgotten the taste of
homemade soup, but this brought it back. Overall I would have
to say your soups are one of the best buys around today!!"
Jacqueline Poppell, GA

"I love your soups so much that I recently sent several
packages of the individual chicken soup to my mother-in-law.
She loved it. She called me the next day and said she wanted
more! Thanks for helping me please a hard-to-please person."
Ann B., WI

"My son gave my wife and me a large supply of your soups as a
Christmas gift [last year]. We tried them during January and
we found them souper. They were soupremely delicious, and
we have not found one we did not like yet. The flavour is
wonderful and satisfying. We will definitely order more and
recommend them to all our friends."
Wain Humphrey

"I am extremely impressed with your soups! The packaging
was appealing, the cooking was simple, and the
flavor...unbelievable! I will be placing another order very soon
for Christmas presents! Thanks!"
Amber Barnum, CA

"Hi, I just had to send you a quick E-mail to let you know how
well your soups went over for Christmas [last year]. I bought
your Sampler Pack of soups for my parents as a gift. Well, they
can't say too many good things about them! My sister even got
into the act, and she's a tough critic. Many thanks for
producing excellent products and for making my family so
happy with their gift."
Penny Finn

Maple Syrup Jam
Makes 8 half-pint jars

I made an amazing jam with your maple syrup. I wanted to
share the recipe with you:

3 quarts finely chopped apples (about 6 lbs)
6 cups sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cinnamon, allspice AND nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

1. Combing in a large pot and slowly bring to boil. Cook till
jelling point, stirring regularly. Remove cinnamon stick and
pour into hot jars and then process jars. (makes 8 half pint
jars)

I sold them at a fundraiser for my kids school and they were
very popular! I gave out taste tests first and then when the jars
were up for auction there was a bidding frenzy! I'm sure one of
the main reasons it turned out so well was due to your great
maple syrup. Thank You!!"
J. Palmer, MN

"Received, tried, GOOD SOUPS, thank you."
Marty Rubenzahl

"Preparation was extremely easy to result in such good taste!!"
Kimberly Swartz, PA

"M-m-m-m-m, it was so very good!!"
Elizabeth Moon

'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?

His workers no longer would answer to "Elves,"
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.

So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.

And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.

Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's war-like or non-pacific.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.

No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.

His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.

So here is that gift, its price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth." '

(c) Harvey Ehrlich, 1992