Each year when Christmas time rolls around, we all feel the pressure that comes along with finding the perfect gift for the special people in our lives. Hundreds of dollars are typically spent to show our loved ones that they are important to us. Sometimes, we even decide to pay for these things with credit, making the cost of such gifts even more expensive over the time that we're paying for them. If you're looking for a way to be frugal this Christmas season and share the love without emptying your bank account, then you're in luck. There are a number of inexpensive gift ideas that you may not have yet considered.

If you come from a large family, purchasing a gift for every sibling, nephew or cousin may not be an option. Group gifts are a great way to showcase your thoughtfulness to everyone in the family. There are many affordable and creative gift options for groups. Board games are a great gift idea, as they can create hours of fun and usually don't cost much. For the older couples in your family, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, consider a classic game such as Scrabble. For larger families or those with young kids, games such as Hasbro's Pie Face! is sure to be a hit.

If you have movie lovers in your family, consider a movie-themed group gift. First, fill a classic popcorn bucket with movie theatre snacks. You can choose any popular movie snack, ranging from microwave popcorn to premium flavored popcorn, depending on your budget. Throw in a gift card to a movie rental service, such as Redbox, and you've gifted your loved ones a wonderful night with just one simple gift.

Homemade gifts are extra special to most people during Christmastime. If you're particularly creative, you can choose a unique gift for each recipient on your Christmas list. If making things is not something you normally do, you may want to consider making several of one or two gifts to give away. For example, for the women in your family, you can make scented candles or soap. For the men, a barbecue rub or a small jar of shave "butter" would be a both practical and thoughtful gift to give. By making the same gift for several recipients, not only will you spend less money on different supplies, you'll also spend less time learning and perfecting your craft.

Another great homemade gift idea to consider is baking your own homemade desserts. Everyone loves and appreciates a sweet treat come Christmastime. And in a day and age when many people have too excess possessions, an edible gift may be just what they want. In a few hours, you can create a mound of desserts to give out. Baked goods' affordable cost makes them a wonderful gift idea for all of those people in your life who may not be close family or friends but are special to you nonetheless. You can make your co-workers, neighbors and those involved in special groups such as churches or book clubs feel special this year with a little bit of elbow grease and flour. Purchase decorative boxes made especially for desserts at affordable prices at a dollar store near you. If you're feeling really frugal, you can also wrap stacks of goodies in parchment paper and use baker's twine to seal a gift that is both festive and delicious.

Gift cards are a great way to purchase gifts for those on your shopping list. There are several ways that you can begin your Christmas gift card stockpile throughout the year. If you find yourself watching TV most nights, why not take advantage of your downtime and earn some money while you're at it? There are many websites, Swagbucks.com being one of the more popular ones, that you can use to earn gift cards. Simply do surveys and rack up points that you can cash out for gift cards. You can also earn gift cards whenever you make a return to a store. We all lose receipts for purchases that we've decided aren't what we need after all. Additionally, if you are gifted an item that you may not actually need, try returning it to the store that you believe it came from and take the store credit option. You can slowly build your gift card collection this way all year long and potentially end up with a hefty collection by the time December rolls around.