Summer can cost a fortune. For some families, many weekends are already accounted for. There are baby showers, weddings and anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, work and family picnics and various other parties to attend. Cha-ching. You don't want to look like a cheapskate, but affording it all can be tough on your budget.

Here are a few gift ideas to help you get through your summer without going broke.

HOUSEWARMING: Many people bring a bottle of wine. Why follow the pack? Divide some of your perennials. Offer to help plant them. Take a photo of their new home, and have it framed. It'll be a nice keepsake for them, and in the future, they'll be able to look back and see all the changes they've made.

BABY SHOWER: One reader, Steph in Maine, suggests: "Get a piece of clothesline, clothespins, baby bibs, socks, washcloths, Onesies or whatever you want. I get them at the dollar store. I buy some in multipacks. Pin the clothes to the line, place in a laundry basket or gift bag, and cover with tissue paper. Keep a piece of the line out. Attach a note that says 'pull here."'

WEDDING: Assemble a gift basket filled with assorted items such as cloth napkins and rings, dish towels, microfiber cleaning cloths, homemade cleaners and cleaning recipes for refills. You can add small household items we often forget to have as a backup, such as batteries and replacement bulbs.

BIRTHDAY: For adults, you can give a Netflix subscription or a hanging birdbath or wind chimes and a bag of gourmet coffee so they can relax and enjoy the outdoors. For young kids, assemble dollar-store items such as bubbles, activity books and arts-and-crafts items, and use a sand pail or plastic tote as the gift wrap.

Sara Noel is the owner of Frugal Village (www.frugalvillage.com), a Web site that offers practical, money-saving strategies for everyday living. To send tips, comments or questions, write to Sara Noel, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or e-mail sara@frugalvillage.com.