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*SPOILER ALERT* -- Close friends and family should AVOID reading this post. I'm going to be discussing the awesome presents I'm getting you for Christmas! No peeking!

Like a lot of people, I've been forced to cut back on spending this year. That includes (unfortunately) Christmas and holiday gifts. I'm the kind of person who - when she has lots of cash - is super excited about buying people lots of presents. But this year, not so much. So I've been forced to become a little creative in my gift-giving. Here are a couple of ideas that'll save you money without skimping on the holiday spirit:

1. Photos! Nothing makes me happier than getting a photo as a gift, especially when it's in a beautiful frame AND it's a good picture of me :) (I'm so vain, I HATE bad pictures of me) So I completely lucked out earlier this autumn when I found a huge box of old family photos - and we're talking REALLY old photos. Like, pictures of my dad bowling in college. My mom's nursing school graduation photo. Grandpa holding my hand at Disneyland. I grabbed a stack of pictures and took them to Walgreens, where I could easily scan and resize the photos and reprint them for a very cheap price. Now I've got great pictures that some family members haven't seen in years, and I know they'll love them. The key, however, is to get a nice frame to go along with it, so gift recipients can hang up the picture immediately. Otherwise, the pix might be tossed in an old shoebox and forgotten about. Places like Target and Walmart have super cheap frames, and Aaron Bros. as well. And if there's a Linens n' Things store going out of business at a place near you, you can pick up frames at a very reasonable price.

2. Food! This is especially great for co-workers. Instead of spending money you don't have buying crappy presents for co-workers, simply bake a bunch of cookies or cupcakes or muffins (oooh, try Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread mix and make the batter into mini muffins! So yummy!). Buy some cheap mugs or containers at your local 99 Cent store, pile in the goodies, and wrap them in heat-sealing cellophane from a craft store (check out Michaels for heat-sealing cellophane). Put a bow and a handmade card on each. You'll seem like a domestic goddess! But don't forget about people who have dietary restrcitions - One of the nicest gifts I ever received from a coworker was a simple brown coffee mug filled with sugar-free candies (while others in the office got regular sugar candies). It was a sweet, thoughtful and no doubt inexpensive gift.

3. Music! I love getting and receiving music mixes on CD. Every year I make a mix of popular and classic music for my mom, and she loves it. She gets to keep up with the hot music (Britney, Rhianna, Amy Winehouse, the Killers) and I'll throw on some oldies but goodies and some showtunes, songs she already knows. Make a mix for a friend and label it: Songs I Think Of When I Think Of You. Throw in some songs you love, some songs you think they'll love, and some songs that mean something to both of you.

Happy holidays and good gift-giving! Add some more suggestions for cheapy gifts in the comments section!