So, I've already revealed to you that I'm a cheap guy.  I notice that I'm also not the only one that finds it painful to spend money on excesses. 

Just for the record, I didn't always used to be that way.  At one point in our lives, my wife and I were high income, high-credit-card-debt-having, spend-at-the-drop-of-a-hat types.  If anyone was helping out the US economy, it was us!

After a few years' of God's special attention to that area of our life, we have become inveterate cheapskates.  I'll gladly give money to God, but anyone else is going to get the third degree.

WHICH BRINGS US TO CHRISTMAS - 47 DAYS AND COUNTING

Note that I don't say "shopping days". 

We used to spend on Christmas like a drunken sailer in his first port of call after a 8 month tour of duty.  In a submarine.  Who just got paid.

In any case, as you may have guessed, that has come to a halt for us.  Our extended family is still in port, spending away, but we're cut back.  That, as many of your are probably painfully aware, creates it's own kind of stress.

DEATH IS REALLY UNDERRATED

However, the good news is that, my friends call me, to quote an episode of Friends, "dead inside".  That is, I'm rather uninterested in what "everybody else" is doing, never been very responsive to peer pressure, and mostly "steer my own course".

However, my wife isn't quite there yet, so we repeatedly have this discussion of what to get particularly our families for Christmas.  Not spending great, pocket-bulging wads of money limits our options.

As a result, we've done a lot of hand-making presents in the last few years.  I like this solution except that we have a little difficulty coming up with unique, personalized hand-made presents.  I may still be infected with the "It's Got To Be The Greatest Gift Ever!"-itis, but I'm looking for something really nice that we can hand-make.

USING THE ANCIENT INTERNET

However, it occurred to me recently that there is a network of God-infused brains working overtime at good 'ol HomeSchoolBlogger, so I thought I'd put these Christmas-gifty questions to all of you and let my brain rest:

1) What are some of the more unique and neat home-made / hand-made gifts that you've given or received (for both adults and young children under 7)?

2) What are some sources for inexpensive non-handmade gifts that you've found?  The thrift store and liquidation stores like Big Lots are places I'm already headed to.  What else have you found (that works for us citified folks)?

3) Somewhat unrelated to the above, but always interesting to me:  What was your best Christmas gift ever?

Thanks in advance for your help!