I, too, am in a bind in terms of finances. While I do have insurance for Teddy and a credit card for emergencies. It's buying christmas presents that has got me feeling the crunch. My husband gives me money monthly, but this past month I spent everything on Teddy. I don't have kids, so I spoil Teddy. Unfortunately we're spending the holidays with my family out of state and it would be silly to not bring them gifts.
Well, I love designer handbags so I put them on ebay when im running low on funds.
Currently i'm selling my 3DS, a dog car seat, and a LV bag to make ends meet. Sometimes you gotta part with material things, so I would suggest selling stuff you don't use on ebay. Especially things that would be in demand for christmas. You can always get new stuff, but your trip is more important.
You can also try to bake stuff, have a garage sale, sell preserves, etc. Little things like that can help you reach your goal.
Good luck
