The festive season brings with it a heck of a lot of spending pressure. And if you're already operating on a tight budget, it can be the straw that breaks the camel's back and pushes you into a spiral of debt.

Don't let that happen to you. Here are seven top tips on how to save money this Christmas...

Another week, another wave of restaurant deals hits the high street. Here's our round-up of the best offers and vouchers currently available in eateries near you.

Just bear in mind that most of these deals only last until the beginning of December. As Christmas approaches, the good offers are likely to become thinner on the ground.

Christmas parties and festive socialising will push many people into restaurants anyway, and the incentives used to draw in unwilling punters may begin to dry up.

So - stay one step ahead of the crowd and take advantage of these offers before they disappear!...

The popularity of discount vouchers has soared during the recession. According to new research from MoneySupermarket, Brits are now using a whopping two million money-off vouchers every single day.

In fact, the comparison website found that we're using around 1,500 vouchers every minute, with each of us saving an average of £56 per month.

Some 38% of customers now use discount vouchers twice a week or more. Get in on the moneysaving action! Here are five money-off vouchers that should slash the price of your next meal out...

What was your favourite childhood toy? I had a BIG thing about My Little Ponies. Back in the early to mid '80s, I thought they were really cutting edge stuff.

I slowly built up my pony collection, saving all my pocket money to buy the latest winged or 'twinkle eye' specimens. What I really, REALLY wanted was the My Little Pony Dream Castle... but of course I never got it.

My dad very sensibly pointed out that of course I could have it - once I'd saved up enough to buy it myself. I worked out that would take several years, rather than months... so it stayed safely on the shelf at Hamleys, and my ponies stayed living under my bed (sigh).

Anyway, it seems kids' tastes haven't changed as much as we might think. Here are the toys all the sprogs are going to be asking for this Christmas...

If you'd been a fly on the wall in my place the other day, you would have seen me squeaking with excitement and doing a geeky little dance around the living room.

Why? Because I managed to pick up a vintage typewriter on eBay - dating from the 1930s and (supposedly) in working order - for just £10. Whoo-hoo!

If that doesn't get your blood pumping, what about an iPhone? Or designer clothes? Or whatever it is that you're obsessed with? Here are five ways to improve your chances of picking up a genuine bargain on eBay...

The recession has caused money-off restaurant deals to multiply like breeding bunnies.

However, the best offers come and go pretty quickly, so you need to keep your finger on that 2-for-1 pulse.

To help you get on top of your game, I've rounded up the best five restaurant deals around at the moment...

In this recession-ravaged era, wartime frugality has become cool.

Making and mending has become all the rage, and apparently, the number of Singer and Brother sewing machines sold by Argos rose 50% last year.

Some of us just want to restock our own wardrobes on the cheap - others are planning to make and then sell on. So how can you make sure starting from scratch pays?

Here are five ways you can make clothes for less...

Wondering where to eat out this week?

Wondering if you can afford to eat out at all?

Wondering if that enormous bag of Value pasta will last another few days?

Stretch your legs and get out of the house - restaurants are still offering some great meal deals and discounts.

Pick the right one, and you could be eating out for less than the price of a takeaway!

There are now lots of general auction and secondhand websites that let you sell your bits and bobs for cash. Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Preloved and Gumtree are all good first ports of call.

However, for certain specific items, you may do better using websites dedicated to those sorts of product.

I'm going to look at sites that focus on recycling your mobile phones, CDs, DVDs, games and books - and give you hard cash in return.

Yes, it's that time again. Welcome to my latest restaurant deals round-up - designed to help you munch your way through the recession with your finances intact.

The 2-for-1 deals and discounts have been drying up a little of late, but never fear - there are still several good offers around. Here are my top five...