11/12/07 found at fresnobee.com

Danger, 36, married with two children ages 4 and 8, has a Christmas shopping list of about 20 people, which includes gifts for teachers and family friends. Danger doesn't wait for the calendar to say December to buy Christmas gifts. She buys presents year-round as she discovers bargains. In fact, one of her closets holds items she plans to give as gifts.

"I keep a mental inventory of what I have," she says. "When it gets closer to the date, I look to see who I need to buy for to fill the gaps."

Target -- based in Minnesota -- is among her favorite stores. Danger loves finding bargains and sees nothing wrong with giving a relative a $20 gift she found on sale for $12.

"I love the thrill of the hunt," she says. "I don't feel I'm cheating anyone because I may have spent more time finding the item. The recipient doesn't know how much you paid for it."

Danger, author of "1000 Best Baby Bargains" (Sourcebook Inc., $12.95), says Christmas gift-giving gets tricky when recipients expect high-end gifts.

"Luckily, there's an unspoken agreement that we siblings don't try to outdo each other," she says. "It works for our family. It isn't about the money; it's the thought that counts."

Danger's children are gracious when it comes to receiving gifts, too.

"They have to accept gifts with a smile," she says. "We tell them to be glad they received anything at all."

Adults get into trouble when they don't budget for Christmas gifts, Danger says.

"They don't plan and end up spending more than they intended," she says. "In January, they get the bill and get sticker shock. You have to know what you can afford."

Even when Danger finds a bargain at the already reduced price at a discount store such as TJ Maxx, she'll wait until it is marked down further. But it's not as if she avoids department stores such as Macy's.

"I shop the clearance racks and have often got good deals," she says.

She's a believer of handmade stationery items and baby coupons redeemable for services such as baby-sitting, housecleaning or pet sitting. Danger says creativity makes a gift more personal.

"One of my favorite gift ideas is a family cookbook," she says. "I printed out the recipes using my computer and used inexpensive three-ring binders. People use the cookbooks all the time."

She also looks for inexpensive family-portrait offers and then finds frames at discount stores. In addition, Danger buys baking goods at grocery stores that offer deep discounts on ingredients to make cookies and candy. These loss leaders get shoppers into stores to buy other regularly priced items.

"A whole plate of candy or baked goods is a thoughtful gift," she says.

And by this time, I know what you're thinking. Yes, Danger admits to regifting.

"You have to make sure the gift fits the recipient." she says. "Regifting becomes tacky when it's obvious the person would never want the item."

As much as she adores a bargain, though, you won't see Danger among the pre-dawn, after- Thanksgiving shoppers.

"I'd rather sleep in," she says.