Saving $ on gifts

If your family is anything like mine we go to ALOT of birthday parties. I was thinking about it and realized that just between my kids and my closest friend's kids there are roughly 20 kids. By closest friends I mean those friends that replace me in my absence and I replace them in their absence. (If you don't have girlfriends like this I highly recommend them!) Then there are also kids in our neighborhood or that are in my oldest son's class. Having alot of parties also mean we have alot of gifts to buy. It's hard on a tight budget to run to the store before a birthday party to try to find the perfect thing because the perfect thing always ends up being the not-so-perfect price. The other thing that stinks about that is running around at the last minute with a bunch of kids fussing to get to the party. My backup plan is to run in the dollar store, grab a card and shove five or ten bucks in it. I always feel like such an unprepared crazy woman when I do that. And it's so impersonal! So here's my plan....when I come across a really good deal on something for someone I get it and store it away! Sounds easy but I'm the world's best at talking myself out of something right when I'm about to hand the cashier the money! I'm like 'Nevermind, I'm not gonna get that'. My new mission is to actually be prepared this year before we go to parties and save money on gifts at the same time.