7 gift-giving trends that don't break the bank

Still stumped for holiday gifts? Consider these ideas from consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch:

graphic courtesy http://www.sxc.hu/photo/6682841. The Latest Craze. Would you believe the hottest holiday item out there is a rectangular piece of plastic? According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, 57.7 percent of consumers want gift cards as holiday presents, putting their demand at an all-time high. Happily, you can find cheap gift cards at sites like GiftCardGranny, which sells them at less than face value. If you're recipient isn't totally satisfied, they can always sell the card for cash on Gift Card Exchange Day, the one-day event scheduled for Dec. 26 when gift card resellers typically offer maximum value for unwanted cards.

2. An Experience. A close relative of the gift card, the daily deal voucher is making its own name this year. Vouchers allow you to pamper someone with a massage or provide an experience like skydiving without going over budget. If this kind of gift doesn't seem personal enough, take some time to gather important details, like expiration dates and restrictions. This shows you put in more effort than simply clicking your mouse a few times.

3. What Goes Around Comes Around. Once taboo, re-gifting is now all the rage. It's a great way to pass on presents you'll never use to someone who'll actually appreciate them. Re-gifting can be a risky venture, though. Make sure you haven't lamented to the recipient how much you hate it or, worse yet, forgot they were the kind person who gave it to you in the first place. For some re-gifting tips and hilarious horror stories, check out Regiftable.com.

4. The Gift of Gifts. The true spirit of the season—kindness, generosity, caring—is slowly fading with each years' Black Friday, doorbusting stampede. Break the cycle and extend your generosity to those in need. Sites like JustGive.org sell charity gift cards, where the recipient can donate their card's balance to any of 1.8 million charities. Plus, when you give a charity gift card, you can write it off on your taxes.

5. Learn to Accessorize. The iPad 2 and Kindle are hot holiday items, but they're gifts reserved for those with money to blow. When you can't afford to give someone the gadget itself, you can still make their user experience more enjoyable. If you know someone is going all-in on an iPod, give them essential accessories like a case and headphones. They're going to need them anyway, and it still shows you pay attention to things they value.

6. A Festivus for the Rest of Us. With so much attention focused on bank account balances, many are choosing to turn away from material goods. Instead of giving individual presents, host a holiday party. Just ask everyone to contribute something easy and affordable, like cookies or dip. This relieves the pressure of gift giving and provides quality time with the people you care about most.

7. The Easiest Gift of All. Though it sounds cliche, there's no better present than the gift of time. Take a step back from indulgent gift giving and do something thoughtful. Rent a favorite movie of everyone in the family and then have an at-home movie marathon together. If you have a family full of foodies, plan a gourmet meal and enjoy each other's company while it's being cooked. Options are really only limited by your imagination.

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert and has been featured among such top news outlets as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more.

The dos and don'ts of layaway

Courtesy Andrea WroochMost Americans are struggling with smaller budgets and tighter belts this gift-giving season, which is one of the reasons layaway plans for holiday purchases are once again popular. Kmart, Walmart, Sears, Best Buy and TJ Maxx are just a few of the major merchants now offering layaway.

Andrea Woroch, consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc., offers these "Dos" and "Don'ts" to consider before making the leap to layaway.

DO

DO dissect the fine print
You'll have to sign a contract or layaway initiation form, which naturally contains a lot of vital information you could easily overlook. Don't let a long line or impatient clerk rush you through checking each detail so you know what to expect.

DO consider whether it's worth the origination fee
There's a fair amount of paperwork, processing and labor involved in layaway plans, so stores charge a start-up fee for each order. Consider the amount of that charge is worthwhile compared to the overall total of your purchase.

DO decide if you really need this item
Should something happen and you decide not to go through with all payments, you'll likely have to pay a fee of roughly 25 to 30 percent of the total price of the layaway plan. That's a hefty fine for changing your mind, so make sure you really want the item before placing it on layaway.

DO compare all fees vs. credit card charges
Add up the potential costs and consider whether you'd be better off placing a purchase on a credit card. According to a New York Times op-ed by Cornell professor Louis Hyman, a typical shopper could wind up paying far less interest by using a credit card, even if it has a fairly high APR. Plus, a credit card gives you purchase protection and, with some companies, price protection.

DON'T

DON'T ignore the Internet
Don't let a sale combined with a layaway plan talk you into buying before researching your options. You'll often find better deals online and it's a lot easier to comparison shop with your mouse. Search for promo codes to use toward your coveted item, and then compare the total cost of the online purchase to what you'd ultimately pay by putting it on layaway.

DON'T neglect your expiration date
There's a limit to how long Walmart will store your stuff. As with other stores, they want to move it before Christmas, so check to ensure you have enough time and cash to pay the entire debt off on time or you'll forfeit everything you've already paid. Mark that date on your calendar and make sure you make all payments before it hits.

DON'T forget about automatic withdrawals
Some merchants prefer to set-up automatic checking-account deductions, ostensibly to save you the hassle of coming in to make each payment. In actuality, it's just another way to make sure they get their money. Should one of those payments bounce, however, you'll be socked with a healthy overdraft fee from both the merchant and your bank. Once again, mark on your calendar the date each deduction will be made, so you can double check the balance in your account.

DON'T layaway when you can pay
It's hard to part with cash during the holidays, when other expenses build up, but the fees you incur with a layaway plan aren't always worth it if you can pay cash now and avoid the hassle.

Extreme face painting for Halloween

For those tasked with helping create ghosts, ghoulies and more for Halloween, here are some ideas and tips courtesy of two ebooks by award-winning special effects artists and brothers, Brian and Nick Wolfe.

First up, an easy Piglet design from "Extreme Face Painting: 25 Friendly Step-by-Step Demos (Enhanced Edition)":

Or try your hand at this Jack-o-Lantern from "Extreme Face Painting: 25 Fiendish Step-by-Step Demos (Enhanced Edition)":

Of course, if that's not fiendish enough for you or the wanna-be ghouls you're painting, there's always this spooky option (tutorial starts at 40 seconds):

For more friendly and fiendish face-painting ideas, you can purchase the ebook of FRIENDLY designs from these (non-affiliate) links for iTunes and B&N, and the FIENDISH ebook from these (non-affiliate) links for iTunes and B&N as well.

Gifts for college kids

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/672215Let college-living grandchildren—or children—know you're thinking of them with these sure-to-make-the-grade ideas from Dawn Bryan, author of The Art and Etiquette of Gift Giving and found of The Qualipedia:

Fund New Expenses:
• Coin bank filled with quarters for laundry or parking meter
• Car parking fee for a semester
• Gift certificate to school bookstore for books and supplies
• Coupons for local carwash

Select Practical Items for Dorms or Apartments:
• Shelving, portable bookcase, and organizers
• Gift certificate to website/catalog/local store for bedding and other linens of his/her choice
• Foot locker or chest for storage as well as for use as table
• Small refrigerator
• Folding umbrella and rain parka
• Bookends
• Laundry bag with supply of detergents
• Desk or bed reading lamp
• Cooking basics, such as frying pan, knives, and mixing bowls
• Battery-operated vacuum
• Floor pillows or beanbag-type chairs
• Flannel sheets
• Portable smoke detector
• Folding lighted mirror

Help to Keep in Touch
• Subscription to hometown newspaper and/or magazine
• Photos and frames
• Calendar marked with birthdays, anniversaries, etc. of family and friends.
• Plane tickets home for Thanksgiving or the holidays

Just For Fun:
• Season (or single) tickets to school games
• School memorabilia: caps, T-shirts, mugs
• Passes to local driving range, movie house, concert
• Membership to local museum, sports club, gym
• First shares of stock along with a subscription to investor news
• Back-to-School Party for one or a group of recent graduates to celebrate their new life change. Party decorations would mirror their new school choices and guests would bring appropriate gifts.

Stop stress from straining your marriage

We're never too old to be reminded how to be nice to our spouse. Actually, the older we get and the longer we've been married, the more likely we need to be reminded of such things even more often.

Here, from from the September issue of Woman's Day magazine, Catherine Cohan, PhD, research psychologist at Penn State University, shares four things you can do to stop stress from straining your marriage.

Empathize: You may feel so stressed out that the last thing you want to do is hear his problems, but acknowledging your partners feelings at the get-go of a conversation enables you to have a discussion without fighting. It can be as simple as saying something like, “I hear what you’re saying and can see how stressful that is.” Helping him feel understood decreases the chance that the conversation will turn into an argument, and lets him know you’re on his side, say Dr. Campis.

Show him that you’re really listening: Put away the smartphone and TV remote. Focus on him, repeating back what he has said and allowing him to clarify things if necessary. Doing this validates his feelings and helps you feel closer.

Use collaborative language: Use we instead of I or you, suggests Dr. Gore-Felton. Instead of saying, “You never help out and I’m sick of it,” try: “Let’s come up with ways we can help each other get things done.

Keep in Touch: It’s easy to zip through your day with little contact, and if you’re stressed out, the last thing you might want to do is hold hands or give him a hug. But “reconnecting in a basic way with skin-to-skin touch helps you bond and can relieve stress,” says Dr. Gore-Felton. So even if you’re irritable, push yourself to reach out with a gentle touch on the arm when you’re both going about your daily tasks. Or, if you’re not nearby, send a quick text message to let him know you’re thinking of him.

You can see the full article on the Woman's Day website.

Brief and photo courtesy of Woman's Day.