Even if you have tons of holiday spirit, you may not always have tons of cash. Here are a few wallet-friendly tips for giving thoughtful gifts on a budget:

Use photos.

For friends and loved ones, framed photos or photo-filled gifts are always sweet. They remind everyone of good times had and good times to come. It only costs $5 to $10 to enlarge a photo to 5×7 or 8×10 at stores like Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, or CVS, and you can get a frame for $1 to $10, depending on style.

You can get artistic with your photos and print them in black and white or sepia tones, or repeat the same photo four times in different colors (think Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyns).

If you get a frame with multiple photo openings, you can turn it into a nostalgic collage by layering ticket stubs and mementos, and writing quotes or inside jokes on the mat. It’s a fun, personal gift that doesn’t cost much at all. Total cost: $6-$20.

Get crafty.

If you’re a creative type, utilize your talents when giving gifts. Got a knack for writing? Craft funny poems for friends and family to let them know you love them. Or use scrap materials from your craft bin to make handmade creations like personalized magnets.

You can buy adhesive magnets for around $3 and can cut them in custom sizes. Cut up old magazines, use scraps of fabric and photos or mementos, and make mini collages on sturdy paper or cardboard. Then cut the magnet to fit the collage, peel the backing, and stick it to the collage. Simple as that, you’ve got a one-of-kind whimsical and personalized gift. Total cost: $0-$5.

If you can draw, do a portrait or make a short comic book starring the recipient. You can get creative and they’ll have something original that will always make them think of you. Total cost: $0.

Share some wisdom.

If you’ve got a friend going through a hard time, gearing up for a big life change, or just looking for a little inspiration, give the gift of wise words.

Buy an inexpensive, but nice-looking, notebook and fill in half of the pages with inspiring, funny, and motivating quotations. Leave the second half blank with a note encouraging them to fill in the rest with their own favorite quotations. Total cost: $1-5.

Think cozy.

Give your friends and family something they can use during the cold winter days. Buy inexpensive, but cute, coffee mugs that reflect the recipients’ personality and wrap with a few packets of hot cocoa. They’ll be able to enjoy the cocoa on a snowy day and they’ll think of you whenever they use the mug. Total cost: $3-10.

Cut down on gift recipients – the fun way. If you can’t afford to buy gifts for everyone you want to, convince close-knit groups to do a Secret Santa or a Yankee Swap.

That way each participant receives a gift, and each participant only has to buy one gift. It’s the fun of gifting at a fraction of the cost. Set a price limit for gifts (i.e., no one spends more than $15) so everyone spends the same amount. Total cost: varies based on participants.

Plan an event.

If you and all of your friends and/or family are strapped for cash, why not plan a holiday event that you can all participate in rather than swapping gifts? A holiday scavenger hunt is a blast for all ages – split everyone into small groups and give everyone the same list of tasks.

Make it easier to share memories later by making it a photo scavenger hunt: for instance, each group must get photos of team members wearing Santa hats, wearing a red nose like Rudolph’s, making a snow angel, ringing a Salvation Army bell, etc. It makes for a fun day and the photos provide something to laugh about later over hot cocoa. Total cost: $0.

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