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Shopkeepers are preparing themselves for their worst Christmas in four years. It seems that we will be tightening our belts this year, and plan to spend an average £813 over the festive period. Whilst that may seem like a lot of money, it's in fact down some £55 on last year. While it may seem like a cliché, Christmas is not about spending money, especially if it will drive you into debt. So here are my top six ideas for Christmas on a shoestring budget. Make A List Then Chop It In Half First write down a list of all the people that you intend to buy gifts for. Next chop the list in half. In any case, why are you buying presents for those distant cousins that you hardly ever see? Often they will be much happier to get a personal note and a cheerful greeting for the New Year from you! Christmas Cards In fact, you can even do away with Christmas cards altogether, unless the person you are sending it to is especially near and dear. There are now many free e-card sites on the Internet from which you can despatch your seasons greetings. These include Christian Aid, which is keen to grab valid email addresses for marketing purposes. But that seems like a small price to pay in exchange for free cards. Exchanging Gifts Exchanging gifts are a great idea if there are lots of people in your family. All you need to do is to get each person in your family to draw the name of one other person, and then only buy a gift for that person. It works a treat especially for big families. You can even agree a cap on the amount that can spent on each gift beforehand. Sharing Gifts Sharing the cost of buying gifts is another alternative to help cut down on Christmas expenses. Consequently, if two people buy a gift together for a third person, it often means that each person can spend less money, but still buy a nicer gift. 0% Cards When you buy those gifts, make sure that you pay for it on a 0% credit card. Many issuers offer 0% interest on balance transfers and new purchases until 1 June 2005. That should give you plenty of time to pay off your Christmas purchase. However, make sure the expiry date of the 0% introductory offer is indelibly etched somewhere obvious so you don't forget. DIY Hampers Finally, a favourite of mine. Groceries always make a great gift, but why splash out for expensive hampers, when you can put together your own? You can find wicker baskets at your local "pound shop" and paper from your shredder makes great lining. After that, what goes in the hamper is entirely up to you. Furthermore, if you are a good cook, you could even include homemade biscuits, cakes and jams! > Find out how to get out of debt