Several months ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who recently had joined a moms group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her little one are getting invitations to lots of toddlers' birthday parties. Her dilemma took me back to when my boys were small. Birthday parties for all their friends were challenging. That's why Elaine's message grabbed my attention. "Can you help me with ideas for birthday gifts for young children that will score with the kids without breaking our budget?" You bet, Elaine. Try these ideas (which appeared in the September issue of the Debt-Proof Living newsletter):

THE STORY OF ME. Give the birthday girl or boy everything he or she needs to write (or draw) the story of his or her life. For children just learning to read, write or draw, include a list of "prompts," which may include instructing the child to draw a picture of a favorite animal, place to visit or what makes him or her laugh. Package it with a pad or book of drawing paper, markers, crayons and enough prompts to complete all the pages in the book.

PLAY KIT. Spark the interest and imagination of the birthday child with a custom play kit you put together. "Design" the kit on paper by making a list of contents, and then go "shopping" in your home. Visit thrift shops, garage sales and consignment stores for items that can be laundered and sanitized. Make kits for boys or girls, and feature themes, such as Dress-Up, Kitchen, Handyman, Restaurant, Doctor, Cowboy and Entertainer.

PIGGY BANK. Start your recipient on the debt-proof road early with a piggy bank. Add a starter fund of coins (or cash, if it's in your budget) to encourage regular deposits that will make the pig noisy when shaken.

PHOTO JIGSAW PUZZLE. Mount an enlarged photo of your child and the birthday boy or girl onto a piece of foam board. Cover the photo with a piece of tracing paper, and lightly draw a jigsaw pattern, making the number of pieces appropriate for the recipient's age. Carefully cut through the paper, photo and board along the puzzle lines. Separate the pieces, and place them in a gift box.

BUCKET OF STUFF. Personalize a bucket or container with the birthday child's name, and fill it with age-appropriate art and craft supplies, such as paper, crayons, pencils, glitter, paste, scissors, a ruler, tape and a pencil sharpener. A dollar store is a great place to fill a birthday bucket because it's quantity that counts!

COUPON BOOK. Create a book filled with coupons for play dates with your child. Include trips to the park and your home, sleepovers, treats, games, crafts and activities.

With a membership to Debt-Proof Living Online, which includes a subscription to the Debt-Proof Living monthly newsletter, you can learn more ways to cut your costs without sacrificing the life you love, along with money-saving strategies to help you get out of debt and build wealth.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at [email protected], or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.