Five Christmas Gifts Under $20

It's that time of year again. Christmas. Some of us start shopping the day after Christmas for the next year and some of us wait until the last minute. No matter what time of year you start shopping, what is supposed to be a joyful time can quickly become stressful if funds are short.Inexpensive gifts can be just as meaningful as pricey ones as long as you put some thought into them. There are lots of things under $20 that can put smiles on the faces of your loved ones this season. The main question is; what do they like?

Java. A unique coffee mug and a bag of their favorite joe makes a great gift for the coffee lover in your family. Dunkin Doughnuts and Starbucks are two of my personal family favorites.

Books. Do they love to cook? Specialty cookbooks are an idea. A mystery buff? Grab the latest thriller novel off the shelf.

Music. The ZEN STONE by Creative is 1 gig of music for only $19.99 at Toys R Us. A great deal for this compact MP3 player that holds 250 songs.

Magazine Subscriptions. Everyone likes something and they make a magazine for just about everything. Does he like cars? Automobile ($10), Hot Rod ($14) or Motor Trend Magazine ($10) could be just the thing.There is also Snowboarder (14.97), Surfing Magazine ($12), Guitar World ($12) and Four Wheeler ($10). Health conscious friends and family may enjoy Vegetarian Times ($14.95), Natural Health ($11.97) or Shape ($14.97) magazine. Maybe home decorating is a favorite past time of one of your giftees. Elle Décor ($10), House Beautiful ($12), Decorating Magazine and Domino ($10) are all great choices for such a person.A subscription is a gift that will keep on giving all year round. If $20 is your budget, magazines are perfect. Subscriptions are inexpensive enough to give more than one.

Photography. The As Seen On TV Credit Card size digital photo album has a 1.8" screen. It holds 96 photos and is small enough to fit in a purse or wallet. It includes the USB and batteries for you. Everything you need but the photos are included in the package. No software is needed; it is "plug and play". The best part is the price. It costs only $19.88 at Walmart.

Hopefully some of these ideas will help relieve a little of the pressure of the upcoming holiday season.