secret santa

You don't have to be a billionaire -- nor a jolly, white-bearded figure out of folklore -- to make the holiday season remarkably sweeter for a stranger. Or a lot of strangers. Over the past few years, ordinary people across the country have been taking up the calling of Larry Stewart, the original Secret Santa.

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

For many people Christmas is a time to give generously to friends and family, but if you haven't been saving throughout the year it can be easy to rely on credit cards and overspend; leaving you with a big bill come January. Thankfully, you still have a few months until Christmas so there's time to...