Secrets to Christmas shopping...

First of all, start out with very limited funds. This is very important. It also helps quite a lot if your children are somewhat grown...say in their twenties. And that they have refined their interests to things for which it would be difficult to shop with your "very limited funds." Now, enter into this activity with an attitude of "what would really be useful to them in their everyday life, might fit in their stocking, and might bring a little chuckle as they open it?"

Next, keeping in mind the others in your life for whom you would like to find a small remembrance - again, with your very limited funds, consider what they don't have, but might enjoy having, would possibly fit in a drawer so as not to be cumbersome, but would not be relegated to the "re-gifting drawer. After all, they may also be at the point where they are ready to downsize thier lives.

And speaking of downsizing, perhaps you could go shopping in your own garage, or attic, or any other place which accumulates gently worn items. One would need to be extremely careful in attempting this maneuver, as it might backfire royally. But then, if you have been the one storing treasured items from another loved one's life, as I have been now for some time, it might be the the very moment to get serious about passing those along.

And ultimately, there is the option to simply write a letter to your "giftees", letting them know how much they mean to you, what you have learned from them, thanking them for being themselves or for listening when you needed them to listen. This requires no shopping at all, unless you correspond primarily electronically - in which case, get thee to a stationery store post-haste.

But for heaven's sake, whatever you do, do not drive into a Target parking lot any time after 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You may be risking life and limb, and every kernel of peaceful holiday that you might have.