I know that I post a lot about buying Christmas gifts. I love giving (and receiving!) gifts. I have most of my shopping for this Christmas done already. Exchanging gifts or even giving gifts without reciprocity makes me happy.

But there's no denying it. It can be very expensive. Especially in these tough economic times, a lot of folks are looking for ways to save money around teh holidays. One way to do that is to set some limits on gift-giving. Having a conversation about gifts now is better than waiting until most people (elves excepted) have done the bulk of their shopping. That doesn't save money and it annoys people.

So, if you decide to limit gifts this year, here are some ways to structure the limit:

• Set a maximum dollar amount per person. (Depending on the number of people involved, this may not be effective. No one wants 35 $10 gifts.)
• Exchange names and give a larger batch of gifts to that one person.
• Limit gifts to immediate family. Or to those under 18.
• Give only handmade gifts.
• In lieu of giving gifts, do something together: see a show, take a trip, etc. Each person is responsible for his/her own costs.

What methods have you used to successfully limit your gift-giving expense?