As the festive period approaches, gift giving may seem like an intimidating task, especially alongside the rising cost of living.

Instead of turning to Amazon or an expensive trip to London, we've come up with some cheaper places you might find the perfect gift.

Charity shops

Charity shops are a great place to look for gifts and there are two bonuses – they're cheap, and its a more environmentally friendly option.

As no two charity shops are the same, you never know what you're going to find before you go in, which makes gift giving more creative.

Charity shops like British Red Cross have partnerships with high street brands like Zara – which means you can get brand new items for a fraction of the original price.

Places like Maidstone and Rochester are filled with charity shops, including Shelter, Age UK, British Heart Foundation, as well as independent shops.

Canterbury has an Oxfam book shop in the middle of the high street, as well as Burgate Books, where you can buy a huge range of different books which make for great gifts.

As well as that, most charity shops also have second hand toys, games, puzzles and CDs which are usually about a pound.

Outlets

If you're looking for discount then an outlet could be a great place to look for Christmas gifts.

The designer outlet in Ashford is a very popular shopping spot, with big names like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein selling luxury items at discounted prices.

There's also makeup shops such as The Cosmetic Company Store and other brands like UGG, Nike and Adidas.

There are some more affordable shops there like Haribo – where you can buy massive tubs of sweets – and The Body Shop.

The Dockside shopping centre in Chatham also has a number of outlet stores, including a Marks and Spencer, and Clarks, where you can buy discounted items.

'Bargain' shops

There are a number of chain shops across the county where you can grab a bargain.

Places like Poundland and Pound Stretcher sell a huge array of items (although not everything is still a pound as the name suggests).

You can get toiletries, toys and food – all of which would make good stocking fillers for both kids and adults

B&M also sells loads of cheap potential Christmas gifts and has a number of Kent locations such as Dartford, Gravesend, Tonbridge and Folkestone.

Around the festive season, they sell as number of alcohol, food and toy gift sets which are fairly inexpensive.

Places like TK Maxx – which has branches in Bromley and Tunbridge Wells – are also a great place to look for gifts as they sell popular brands at discounted prices, and even have further reduction aisles sometimes.

Handmade gifts

Making gifts to give to people as presents can be a thoughtful and fairly inexpensive option if you're on a budget.

Knitting and crocheting have become increasingly popular hobbies, so why not knit a pair of gloves or a hat to give to someone, especially as the weather is getting colder.

Or, if you're a bit more experienced you could crochet a jumper or blanket for someone.

You could also make a photo album, collage or scrapbook to gift to a friend or family member, which makes for a thoughtful gift.

If you know someone who's into cooking or baking, or wants to get better at it, you could make them a recipe book – empty books will only set you back a few pound, and the rest is you.

We've also compared the most affordable supermarkets to help you buy your Christmas dinner on a budget.

Although gift-giving can seem like a daunting activity, especially with the cost of living rapidly rising, it doesn't have to be.

The process of picking out gifts for people, and the thought that goes behind it is what really matters.