The holiday season is an especially busy time for working mom Anabel Perez. The Hammond, Ind. resident is maintaining a balancing act between meeting the family budget and wishes of her three children, Alina, 12, Angel, 10, and Quetzalli, 2. With a budget around $50 for each child, Perez comparison shops to find the best deals.

“I usually look to see what stores have better sales,” said Perez. “It’s so much easier to shop for Quetzalli; I will buy her a combination of toys and clothes. Most of her toys I’m buying from Family Dollar, they have many toys for $5.”

When the kids ask for the bigger ticket items, the gifts are more about quality than quantity, said Perez.

“Alina has asked for books this year and a Wii dancing game; the game is about $50 so that may be all she gets,” said Perez. “Angel is also into video games, I may buy him one, too. Their video games are non-violent and it’s something we can play as a family so I have no problem getting it for them.”

The holiday shopping season started with a bang, but in these tough economic times parents are searching to get a bang for their buck. Retailers and internet shopping sites are trying to keep up and meeting consumers’ needs by offering affordable and environmentally conscious items this season.

Family Dollar is opening their doors to holiday shoppers and offering a wide selection at low prices, said company spokesperson Josh Braverman.

“We’ve got great value gift options for the holidays,” said Braverman. “We’re very proud of our assortment of $5 and $10 toys for kids of all ages and great values on the name brands ...