It is almost at that time of year once more, the time you begin to think about Christmas. I know it seems to get earlier every year and really we have not even head Halloween yet! However, planning your Christmas shopping is not such a bad idea. A lot of people begin their shopping early as it make it possible for them to even out the cost as opposed to spending all their wages (and more) in November/December. This is probably even more relevant with the state of the global financial crisis and people losing their jobs or working reduced hours etc.

But lets not dwell on the gloom and misery. Getting together with your friends and family is really what Christmas and this time of year is all about.

Below are some great Christmas gift ideas to keep in mind when shopping for Christmas presents:

1. Check Out The Sales Now

Lots of the larger shops have their sales and special offers on at the moment. Buy 2 get the 3rd free, or upto 50% off market items. This is great for toys. If you know what your little one's want then time to snap up the bargains now. Sometimes you have to take a bit of a guess. I have three small children and in the run up to Christmas they change their minds a thousand times as to what they want from Santa. Having just bought the toys on special offer only for your child to say they don't want the toy is a heart stopping moment. But don't worry they generally forget about it and are very happy on Christmas morning when they receive the toy they said they didn't want!

2. Is Nearly New OK?

I used to have a real problem buying nearly new items, that was before I had children and realized how empty my bank account can suddenly become. But with the advent of auction sites online you are able to get some fantastic bargains nowadays. Lets face it children don't play with toys for that long, they soon get pushed to one side when the next latest and greatest toy comes out. So take a good look at these online auction web sites, have a good look at the items available, but remember before buying anything check out the sellers history and their feedback just to make sure they can be trusted.

Another great way to save some money is buying slightly used video games for any of your consoles such as Playstation, Wii, PSP or Xbox. Again children and even adults finish playing the games so quickly that trading them in for new or used games can be a great way to pick-up some bargains. The Game store is the place my husband regularly trades in our games. We then get a few nearly new games for the children and they think it is great. Fortunately we have not had any problems with the slightly used games we have purchased and basically I highly recommend this way of picking up a bargain.

3. Be creative

Members of your family are not really looking for expensive Christmas gifts especially when you have young children. For example my parents-in-law and even my mum and dad really like getting gift vouchers, a nice book, flowers etc. They gain a lot of enjoyment from seeing the kids tear open their gifts. This is the real spirit of Christmas. Therefore bear in mind that you do not have to spend a fortune of presents. Consider the person you are buying for, what would the really like as a gift? If you are creative that is fantastic and you can make something very special and save money at the same time.

Looking for Christmas gift ideas? Take all the stress out of Christmas shopping and have a look at our great Christmas Gift Guide to give you some fantastic ideas of gifts for all your family and friends.