Learn the answers to some of your most common gift giving and smart shopping questions. Read Jennifer’s most current inverview with Dr. Heather Starr Fiedler, founder of PittsburghMom.com.

What is your best general advice for smart gif giving?
"My best advice for consumers this year is to plan first, spend later. Take the time before you hit the stores to establish a realistic cash budget, prepare your gift list accordingly and begin researching the best deals as early as possible. If you are not sure what to buy, indulge in a window shopping spree to jumpstart your creativity. Always shop the discount department stores first and vow never to pay full price for anything. If shopping online, be sure to search for coupon codes that provide significant discounts when checking out. My favorite site that helps me search for these secret sales is www.ratherbeshopping.com. With a little research, you'll be amazed at how much money you can save."

What are your favorite stores to shop?
"I absolutely adore Gabriel Brothers, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, and Big Lots but each for different reasons. They are all discount department stores with great prices, but each store has certain favorites that the other does not. Gabriel Brothers is a fantastic resource for upscale home decor, designer clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet boasts prices on books, DVD's, and toys can not be beat! And Big Lots has the best selection of gourmet food items that you can't even find at your favorite grocery store."

What about gifts and toys for children? Any good hints?
"Toys and gadgets for the little ones can quickly add up to big bucks if you are not careful. To avoid spending upwards of $25 (or more) per child, why not consider giving a group gift that the entire family can enjoy together. Choose a theme for the gift and find two or three items that will tie the theme together. For example, a "Family Fun Basket" may contain a family friendly DVD, classic board game, scrapbooking supplies, or museum passes. Get creative based on the lifestyle of the family!"

What’s your favorite “sanity saver”?
"As an expert Giveologist, my mantra is "focus on the giving, rather than on the gift." Forget about price-tags and obligatory spending! Give the best you can with what you've got and feel great about it. If you take the time to put together a meaningful gift that reflects your cherished relationship with that person, you will hit a home run every time...even if you only spent $10."

What about a gift for the dad that has everything?
"That's a tough question, but it can also be applied to just about anyone on your list who wants for nothing! My best advice for this gift giving quandry is asking yourself, "what does mom/dad value most?" and give a gift that reflects their character and values. For example, if you know your dad loves to go bowling with the guys, why not give him a gift certificate to his favorite bowling center along with a snazzy bowling shirt complete with his name embroidered breast on the breast pocket. Jazz up a gift card by adding a small gift that reinforces the theme to make it extra special and extra thoughtful."

What time of year is best to shop?
"The best time is to shop off-season, after any holiday, and only when you can afford to shop! Think opposites. When it's hot outside, look for steals on cold winter weather gear and vice versa. This goes for every item that you can think of including furniture. Who wants to think of buying furniture when it's 80 degrees and sunny? You won't be inside much to even think about it! Hence, look for major furniture and appliance sales in late spring and throughout the summer season."

What’s your best advice for getting a great deal?
"The key to finding the best deals is to always shop the clearance sections of your favorite stores first. Don't be blinded by all the new and shiny merchandise tempting you in the front of the store. Head directly to where they often hide the best deals, usually near the back of the store, on bottom shelves, or little cubbies that you have to sniff out with skill and experience. Save yourself the hassle and just the clerk where the clearance sections are located. They are usually very happy to oblige."

Do you have a “standard gift” that you like to give for a friend’s birthday?
"Hostess Gift? Mother’s day? Father’s day? I take great effort to individualize every gift that I give, but when in doubt I usually give the gift of food. Who doesn't like food? The key is give what they like rather than what you like! I usually add a little extra "WOW" to the gift by making the container part of the gift as well. For example, one year I bought a football shaped crockpot for $12 at Big Lots, made my famous spinach dip and took it as a hostess gift to a Superbowl party. Everyone loved the dip and the hostess now has a functional gift for future parties...SCORE!"

You have $25 to spend on a Secret Santa gift for a ladies' Christmas party? What would you give?
"I love Secret Santa gifts! This is when I really get to show off! Normally I devise a theme around the likes or values of the recipient. If I don't know him or her very well, I put some time into covert research by talking to mutual friends, visiting her profile at online social media sites, or when all else fails, going with a practical gift card and adding a few small items that I've collected in my gift closet to compliment the theme. For example, a $20 gas card, gourmet coffee or tea, a stainless steel travel mug that I found on clearance, and a batch of homemade trail mix in a decorative tin. In the card I may write, 'Think of me on your way to work tomorrow morning!'"

What’s your favorite give you’ve ever received?
"I have received so many wonderful gifts over the years. My husband is such a wonderful gift giver that it is so hard to choose! Just having his unconditional love and support every day is more than a girl could ask for, not to mention he is the technical genius behind everything the Gift Therapist has ever done :) His love is definitely the best gift ever!"

What’s your favorite gift you’ve ever given?
"Every gift that I give is my favorite at the time because I try really hard to make the gift reflect my connection with that person. Last Christmas, my husband and I bought an antique train for our Dad. We bought it after we found out that the train that had been in his family was lost over the years and he really missed having one. Because my husband and I had shopped smart, we had plenty left in our gift budget to buy the train. Yes, it was a high ticket item, but it meant the world to our Dad and he now cherishes that train. You can't put a price on memories."