In light of what looks to be a difficult holiday shopping season for consumers on a budget, Consumer Reports is here to be your resource for frugal gift-shopping.

Consumer Reports veteran deal-finder Tod Marks recently launched his new blog, Tightwad Tod, as part of the CR Money Blog. Tod highlights ways to cut costs and sounds the alert on scams and dubious "bargains." Be sure to check it out for daily money-saving tips.

The CR Electronics team is also here to help you buy high-tech gear without emptying out your wallet. Our recent report, "Buying electronics," rates the best electronics retailers and offers 10 money-saving tips.

Here's one example:

You don't have to pay top dollar for outstanding performance.

Many readers who look at our product Ratings believe that the top-ranked model is the only one to buy. Not necessarily. Models that rank a few positions lower in our Ratings often offer fine performance at a lower price.

Don't just look at the Ratings order. Check a model's overall score and scores for the attributes that matter most to you. You might find there aren't major differences between a model at the top of the list and another in the middle. Also be open to products that score very good rather than excellent. The differences between a TV rated very good and excellent for picture quality can often be very subtle, most obvious when the TVs are viewed side-by-side. Our model recommendations—which take price into account—can help to narrow down the list.

Check out the other nine tips in "Buying electronics" from the December issue of Consumer Reports. And if you have a tip for saving money while electronics-shopping, share it in the comment section below.

—Nick K. Mandle