Some people are gifted givers and have no trouble finding the perfect present. For the rest of us, there's Surprise.com! Surprise.com is a free gift-idea service that specializes in providing you with hundreds unique and unusual gift ideas. The site provides links to online merchants who offer that product or service so you can quickly buy and send great gifts every time!

Surprise.com helps you think creatively about your recipient by grouping gifts into fun and fanciful categories. Does the person you need a gift for "Love to Talk Politics?" Maybe they're "Always Cold," a grown-up that "Still Watches Cartoons" or an endless "Fidgeter?" Surprise.com has over 300 categories like these:

Surprise.com helps you think creatively about your recipient by grouping gifts into fun and fanciful categories. Does the person you need a gift for "Love to Talk Politics?" Maybe they're "Always Cold," a grown-up that "Still Watches Cartoons" or an endless "Fidgeter?" Surprise.com has over 300 categories like these:

• Unusual Sense of Humor
• Lives in a Small Apartment
• Works Too Much
• Grinches & Scrooges
• Likes Hand-Made Things
• Loves Their Car
• Has the Blues
• A Little Bit Country
• Hippy Dippy
• Has Subversive Tendencies
• Former Californian
• Likes Crunchy Things

Once you find the right category, Surprise.com then suggests dozens of ideal gifts that can be found on the Web. Here are some examples:

• For someone who "Has a Bad Back" - Slimline Wallet
• For the "Dreamer" - Personalized romance novel
• For the "Bath Connoisseur" - Celebrity Rubber Duckies
• For someone who "Wants Peace & Quiet" - Noise Canceling Headphones
• For the "Meat Lover" - Personalized Branding Iron

MassMutual Financial Group (www.massmutual.com) correctly notes that, for most people, managing debt effectively is a learned skill. They offer the following pointers to help you get your debt under control:

Categorize debts. To gain control of personal debt, you might start by developing an overall picture of your current debt situation. Debts should be categorized as healthy or unhealthy. They should then be scheduled according to whether they are short-term (e.g., credit cards), intermediate-term (e.g., auto loans), or long-term (e.g., mortgages and home equity lines of credit). The interest rate for each type of debt should be noted.

Pay off the "right" debt first. It usually makes the most sense to pay off high interest rate debt first, especially if the interest is not tax deductible (e.g., credit cards). Ideally, you should have enough in savings to pay off short-term debt, if needed. Because credit cards are typically used to purchase consumables, rather than assets that appreciate, they can easily tempt consumers to live beyond their means. Thus, it is best to develop the habit of paying off this type of debt on a monthly basis.

Avoid the minimum payment trap. Interest that accumulates by stretching out payments can make even a "bargain" costly in the long run. To understand the impact of making only minimum monthly payments, you may want to ask your credit card company how long it would take to pay off your current balance at that rate, and how much total interest you will ultimately pay. This information prompts many individuals to adopt a "pay-as-they-go" strategy.

Curb impulse spending. If you are prone to impulse spending, you may find it best to avoid shopping when you don't have a specific purpose in mind. Or, you could try to delay impulse purchases for 24 hours. Once you have had a chance to "sleep on it," you may discover the impulse has passed.