Are you considering ways to cut back on gift giving this holiday season? With the economy still off-kilter a little temperance may need to be in order this gift-giving season. A simpler, less materialistic holiday may be just as memorable and enjoyable as an expensive one. Talking with family, friends, and co-workers about cutting back or even forgoing the gift exchange all together is a potentially awkward conversation. The important thing is to have the talk and to have it early.

Many families put a cap on holiday spending by setting and sticking to a maximum amount per gift or by giving presents only to children under a certain age. In addition, you might consider not giving nieces and nephews Christmas presents once they turn 18. Or, draw names ahead of time and buy a gift for one other adult family member, so that everyone has something to open.

If you’ve fallen into the habit of exchanging gifts with adult friends and colleagues and find that it’s adding up, why not agree that it’s a habit in need of breaking? What about just exchanging holiday cards instead?

Here are some other creative gift-exchange ideas that let you stretch the fun and the dollars from the book: “The Ultimate Road Map to True Riches.”

The Dollar Store Gift Exchange: If it’s truly the thought that counts, then set a spending limit of a single dollar and see how creative everyone can get at the Dollar Store.

The Re-gift Exchange: Agree to wrap up something you already own and don’t need (that’s still in the box or in mint condition), and give it to someone who will appreciate it.

The Handmade Gift Exchange: The giver has to make each present, be it a birdhouse, a fruitcake, a poem, or a pair of slippers.

The Old Photo Gift Exchange: What more cherished and inexpensive gift could there be than an old family photo? Get up there in the attic and see what you can find! To boot, you could probably find a suitable frame at the Dollar Store, an outlet, or a thrift store.

The Charity Gift Exchange: Don’t you already have everything you really need? Many are not as fortunate, so agree to make a contribution to a charity rather than trading gifts.

The Tackiest Gift Exchange: Keep it cheap and fun by seeing who can give the tackiest gift for under $5.

The Gift-of-Time Exchange: Exchange gift cards for your time. Recipients redeem them, and have you do anything from washing their car to giving them a massage or volunteering your time for a charity of their choice.

Don’t be shy about proposing a “gift-lite” holiday season, it could be more fun than you ever imagined for your family and friends this year.

For more information, contact Anna Peele, Extension Agent, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at (910) 592-7161.