It’s sometimes tough to shop for your friends who are really into technology. They’re always looking for the latest and greatest gadget – but what if you don’t have the budget to spend money on the newest technology?

Don’t worry, my friends. That’s what we’re here for. There are plenty of gift ideas for your techy friends, even if you only have $20 or $30 to spend. Below, we’ve put together a list of our top tech gift ideas for this holiday season:

Travel kits – Even if your friend has all the latest gadgets like an Amazon Kindle, iPad or brand-new iPhone, they may not have the accessories to go with it. Why not buy them a travel kit that they can use on the road? These can be found online or at large department stores and include things like a car adapter, ear buds, and more.

Gadget Covers – Buy your friends a cover for their iPad, mp3 player, or e-reader. For a different take on a carrying case or cover, check out Etsy. There are dozens of artists who make creative covers for less than $30.

Goodies for their desk – Everyone who sits near a computer for most of their day wants something fun to play with when they need a creative boost. Buy your friends things that will help spark new ideas like Bucky Balls, Silly Putty, a handheld stress ball, or magnetic poetry.

Staple-free staplers – For a fun take on regular office supplies, check out Doggie and Kitty Staple-Free Staplers. The “stapler” boasts not only a cool design, but also sticks important papers together by cutting a notch in the paper instead of using the normal bent metal wire.

Decorative USB drive – Sure, nearly everyone has a USB flash drive, but do they have one shaped like a Star Wars character? Or a Transformer? Check out Think Geek’s line of flash drives that transfer files and do everything from open a bottle to light up a dark room.

 

 

Off-the-wall books – Shop ThinkGeek or Urban Outfitters for a wide variety of interesting books that you may not find at a normal bookstore. You’ll find titles like, “Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things,” “HTML For Babies Book,” “101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die,” “Show Dad How,” and much more.

Mini-speakers – For less than $30, you can buy your friend speakers that connect to an mp3 player and produce a large sound. Most speakers are so small they can be held in the palm of a hand and are completely rechargeable via USB.

Headphone splitter – If you’ve ever wanted to share music with a friend in a quiet place, you know how hard it is to share ear buds with another person. Luckily, HiJack headphone splitters fit on a keychain and are ready at a moment’s notice so you can share your music wherever you go.

Next time you’re walking through the mall searching for that last gift, consider the above ideas for your tech-savvy friends.

About the Author:

Jon Vincent turned his obsession with Black Friday ads into a website – and a career! He’s been interviewed about his website, BlackFriday.info, by the New York Times, CNN, Tech Crunch and more. When he’s not hunting down Black Friday ad leaks he stays busy by writing frugality and savings advice.