By Jo Manning
BBC News
The current economic downturn will have a big effect on millions over Christmas.
Presents, celebrations, office parties and family dinners don't come cheaply, so many people will be looking to make savings wherever they can.
Although January sales are coming early in some parts of the high street, I decided to see how much I could find by way of charity shops, markets, and car boot sales.
I started my gift hunt on the internet. CardiffFreecycle is an online group which sees members give away items they no longer want or need to others.
It's easy to join and once you're in you can post offers of the items you want to purge yourself of, or ask fellow members if they're looking to get rid of certain items.
TOP TIPS FOR BARGAIN HUNTERSCars, computers, sofas, televisions, entire kitchens and bikes are all among the items to have been offered on CardiffFreecycle.
The idea is to keep perfectly good items out of the landfill - a fashionably green motive. And there are several freecycle sites for different cities, towns and areas in Wales.
Claire Venables, who is a regular on the CardiffFreecycle forum, said she hated throwing anything away and would rather see items going to a good home than in her bin.
"I've had some excellent things like book shelves and I've also put loads of stuff on - it's a great way of clearing things out," said the mother-of-four.
"I put things on I don't need anymore. Recently this included a whole bundle of clothes which my sons had grown out of. I ended up getting about 20 replies to that post. Then you can pick the person you think most deserves it.
"You get a lot of people on there asking for advice too. I own some African land snails and recently we were a bit overrun with fruit flies because of the food they eat. So I asked for advice on how to get rid of them and I got loads of really useful replies."
Claire had some Jodi Picoult novels on offer - a great gift for several members of my family - so I replied to her ad, popped over to her house and they were mine. They were in really good condition too.
BARGAIN BASKET: Two books, total cost: FREE.
"If people were to come back and saw what they could get with their money I'm sure things would pick up"
My next visit was to Splott Market, a well established twice-weekly car boot sale and indoor market in Cardiff where all manner of goods can be purchased.
Strolling up and down the rows and rows of stalls, it was clear you could get Christmas sewn up for a couple of years if you looked hard enough.
There were fishing rods, televisions, computers, DVD players, mobile phones, jewellery, antiques, ornaments, picture frames, drum kits, electric guitars, make-up, bikes, clothes, shoes, inline skates, toys, an array of food and even Christmas decorations for sale.
OK, so most of this stuff is second hand and some of it has seen better days, but if you look hard enough there are plenty of gems and bargains to be had.
One car booter had a brand new pair of Heelys on his stall. For the uninformed, Heelys are those trainers with wheels in the bottom of them which allow children to glide around supermarkets and DIY stores.
These were an unwanted present apparently and on sale for only £10. Unfortunately they weren't in my seven-year-old niece's size.
However I did find plenty of vintage-looking jewellery and bought two necklaces from one lady for £2. I also found a nice (and brand new) pair of red leather gloves for £4 which I know my dad's girlfriend would love. I also couldn't ignore the vast quantities of discounted chocolate on offer and snaffled three Toblerones for £1.
Speaking to stall holders, it seems the credit crunch has reached even these ultra-discounted parts.
One said some regulars were thinking of giving up their stalls in the new year because they just weren't making any money.
"It has been going gradually downhill for a while," said one woman, who did not want to be named.
"I think most people thought it would improve because the market is the cheaper option but people have got out of the habit of coming here.
"If people were to come back and saw what they could get with their money I'm sure things would pick up. There are some brilliant bargains to be found here."
BARGAIN BASKET: Two books, two necklaces, leather gloves, three chocolate bars. Total cost: £6.
Charity shops were my next port of call and I took a trip across Cardiff to the Canton area.
Many have improved beyond recognition in terms of quality, variety of goods - and how they're presented. It's not just bobbly, shapeless jumpers and dusty ornaments any more.
I apparently missed a Laura Ashley coat in the PDSA shop by a matter of hours!
I was really impressed with the handbags on offer in some of the stores I ventured into and the variety of goods available.
However I was able to get the ultimate in gifts - a fondue set - for £2, the award-winning film The Lives of Others on DVD for £1.99, classic family game Frustration for 99p and three pairs of thermal socks for £1.99, all in the space of around 15 minutes.
"If you see something you like, it's best to buy it quickly because if you go away and think about it, more often than not someone else will buy it," said Patricia Fraser, manager of the PDSA shop in Canton.
"There are some really lovely things for sale in the charity shops at some great prices but even so we have still been affected by the credit crunch.
"I think people are spending less all round."
BARGAIN BASKET: Two books, two necklaces, leather gloves, three chocolate bars, fondue set, DVD, board game, thermal socks. Final total: £12.97.
As someone who hadn't thought much about Christmas shopping in this way before, I imagined the pickings would be slim but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of goods on offer. With a little time, flexibility and homework, you can find some genuine bargains.
Hopefully, my relations - and my bank manager - won't be disappointed.
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