Saving money is now a national obsession, even when it comes to buying holiday gifts. So I did some holiday shopping at local thrift stores to see what I could find.

Laurie Solheim is a super shopper and a thrift store regular.

"I can spend hours," she said.

And she couldn't wait to take the KOMO Money Monday Challenge -- she how far she could stretch $100.

We started at Value Village in Ballard. Solheim headed straight for the clothing section.

"The sky's the limit. You never know what you'll get. That's half the fun," she said.

She scanned for store tags which signal the items are brand new. She checked out a few things. But when you're on a budget, you need to be choosy.

Then she sopped a pair of used Tommy Hilfiger jeans. They'd been worn, but were in good shape and priced at just $9.99.

"That'll be great," she said.

Next she hit the book section.

"Oh, Hardy Boys, look at this," she said.

She grabbed the first five books, which were in near-mint condition. They were $1.99 each, and the fifth book was free.

As she wandered through the store, Solheim snagged a couple of tree ornaments at $1.99 each, some picture frames for $2.99 or less, a catnip Santa and some Santa magnets.

"That has my sister-in-law written all over it," she said of one of the items she found.

Finally, Solheim rounded up some games for the kids -- Brainquest for $2.99 and Pocket Sudoku for $3.88, both well below full retail.

So how did she do? Solheim snatched up 13 things for $44.54.

Our second stop was the new Goodwill store in Shoreline. She grabbed a basket and made a beeline to the jewelry counter.

Solheim, a regular at the store, knew they have trays and trays of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. She picked out a pretty piece for a teen recipient for just $2.

The glass flowers in the case also caught her eye. The blue rose and pedal was just $4.99 -- sold, Solheim said.

Checking her list, Solheim saw she needed a few more toys. She found a shelf of board games, some brand new and still in the original plastic shrink wrap.

"I think a $5 game is a lot better than a $20 game," she said, picking up Risk for just $4.99, and Monopoly Special Edition for just $2.99.

Before we left, she picked up some wrapping paper and a couple of Christmas cards for just 79 cents.

Time to get to the total. Solheim hoped to stay under $30, and she did. Her total came to $29.98.

Our last stop was at the Lifelong Thrift Store on Capitol Hill. The store has a lot of funky thing, but Solheim decided to go for broke and spend the last of her money on a brand-new Michael Kors shirt. The original store tag was for $69.50. But her price, with tax, was just $25!

At the end of the day, Solheim walked away with board games, clothing, ornaments and even blown glass -- something for all 16 people on her list, and more than one gift for some, for just $97.

Except for the jeans, which were pre-owned, everything else was new or looked like new. No one would ever know it came from a thrift store, but your wallet will definitely notice the difference.

And thrift stores, with their already-low prices, do have sales. And some offer coupons, too. Goodwill has senior saving days. If you haven't been for a while, you might want to check it out.