Ideas for shoppers looking to cut costs

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - If you're looking to buy a gift for someone, but don't have a lot of money to spend, there are ways to cut costs.

Who doesn't recognize that special blue box? A six-and-a-half inch Victorian china bread and butter plate from Tiffany's can spruce up anyone's holiday table. At $20, you won't have to miss your next meal buying it.

Speaking of food, what cook wouldn't love an herb keeper. The plastic container from Crate and Barrel preserves the freshness of herbs and vegetables like asparagus, extending their shelf life. The cost,$19.95.

This next gift could become a family heirloom. At create-my-cookbook.com , you can put together a book of recipes and pictures for a personalized cookbook. It comes with a water-resistant cover and mounted spiral for easy page turning. But best of all, it's easy to do and costs just $19.95.

Do you hate it when melting ice dilutes your drink? These natural soap stones from teroforma.com work like an ice cube, retaining temperature for an extended period of time. The Whiskey Stones come in a set of nine stones and costs $20 dollars.

Making personal electronics more personalized and protected. GelaSkins offers decorative, protective covers that work like stickers and fit like a glove. A cell phone cover will set you back just $14.95.

How about making dish washing fun. Lushberry sponge gloves are a fashionable, practical way to do the dishes, and at $12.99, a great cheap gift.

Or what about lego-like building block utensils? You can stack them to go or stay, play and eat, kids of all ages will love them especially at $16.99. Both can be found at perpetualkid.com .

If you like to share music with friends, create a high-quality, digital music mix on a mix tape USB drive. It's creatively packaged in an old-fashioned cassette tape, where you can list the tunes. And here's music to your ears, it's just $15.

Here's the perfect gift for Western New Yorkers.  How many times have you been caught without gloves, scraping your windshield? An ice scraper mitt will protect your hands from ice and snow, and your wallet from emptying, at just under $8.