Most of us are putting that fancy handbag purchase on hold or waiting to buy that fabulous jacket, but one thing that can't be put off is birthday gift giving.  When I got my new title of "wifey-dearest" my family and friends almost doubled in size, and that means twice the birthdays.  Since September, October, and November are the most popular birth months (think about how cold and dark it is nine months prior and you can't argue) you can safely surmise that I have had quite a few cake and gift sessions already and have quite a few to go.  Luckily, as something of a "professional" shopper, I've learned a few tricks that have saved me shopping cash so when I am a birthday shopping I don't feel quite so bad saying one for you and one for me.  Here are some quick easy ways to save cash during this, one of the busiest birthday times of year.

• Got a foodie on your list?  A couple of years ago I found Restaurant.com which sells gift certificates to area restaurants for an average of 50% below the certificate's face value.  There are some restrictions on dates or minimum food purchases at some of the participating eateries, but buy one of these puppies and print it out on a nice color printer and you have saved yourself some serious cash on your gift and the recipient will never know you paid discount rates.  This isn't just some weird internets-hoax; I bought a certificate for Lorenzo's and while we could only use it Monday through Thursday it was well worth the savings.
• My name is Melody and I am a bag-o-holic.  If you have a friend or family member with a birthday around the corner who has the same problem make a stop at Target.  Beginning October 12th they are carrying a line of bags by noted London designer Anya Hindmarch that look very similar to her high end designs and have the same name, but carry a price tag appropriate for gift giving on a budget. 
• One of my favorite places to snag gifts for just about anyone is Borders.  It is obviously a great place to shop for a bookworm's birthday, but you can also snag games, journals, and cute kitchen accessories.  The best way to save money at this gifting stop is to sign up for the Borders Rewards program and don't let their weekly emails get deleted or caught in spam.  They send out weekly coupons (last weekend's was 30% off) that will save you a bundle, plus you build up rewards cash throughout the year to use on holiday purchases. 

A tight budget doesn't necessarily mean giving crappy gifts, it just means shopping smart, not being afraid to sign up for retailers's newsletters, and keeping a close watch on high-style bargains.  If I could recommend one super-valuable shopping resource it would be signing up for the "junk-mail" lists at favorite and diverse retailers (online or snail mail).  There are coupons out there to be had, you just have to be willing to take them and once they start rolling in you won't want to shop without them again.