If your holiday shopping list says Donald Trump, but your wallet says you're one step away from living in a cardboard box, don't worry. There are still ways you can gift the perfect gift to those you care about without having to hock all your belongings or sell your blood to do it.

Buy the weekend paper and hit the sale ads. Lots of stores have killer sales close to the holidays, so you may be able to find what you are looking for at a deep discount. Check online for similar deals, as well as sites who will do the comparison shopping for you. A lot of online retailers also offer additional savings codes that will knock a few extra bucks off of the item's price, or will even offer free shipping, so do a little research before you buy to see if you can find a code.

If you want to buy your girlfriend a trendy outfit/pair of shoes or the latest appliance, then don't forget the discount stores like Marshalls, HomeGoods, or Burlington Coat Factory. They offer the same stuff you'd find in pricey department store, but at a great discount, but, be prepared to spend a little time in each of these stores looking through everything.

If you want to give your girlfriend something that will blow her away, but just don't have the money for anything truly fabulous, then you may have to improvise and create the gift yourself. Put together an album of pictures that chronicle your time together or, make her a CD that includes all of your special songs, like the one that was playing when you had your first kiss. Be original even if you have to be cheap.