Top Ten Geek Gifts for Under Ten Dollars

The good thing about geeks is that they're easy to please, and they don't care if the gifts are cheap, as long as the giver's heart is in the right place. In today's economy who can afford a brand new iPad2 or a souped up Alienware computer? Not me! Here are some of the gifts I'm looking at for the geeks on my Christmas shopping list.

Let your bulletin board know you mean business with these classic weapon replicas. Boss give you an assignment that will cut into your gaming time? List of bills you'd like to axe from your budget? Not a problem -- figuratively speaking. The set includes ten of the fun office accessories, making them a mere dollar per pushpin! Prices like that will have you taking a stab at all the geeks on your Christmas list.

Ever been hit with a rubber band? That hurts! Paybacks are fun with this deceptive desk accessory. Disguised as a normal pen, the rubber band shooter will surprise roommates and co-workers alike -- up to one hundred times with the extras ammo that comes with the toy. Just fit a rubber band onto the spring-loaded finger gun and let 'em fly! Your victims will never know what hit 'em!

This is the quintessential geek gift. Who wouldn't enjoy owning a bird that spends hours bobbing to and fro in front of a glass of cold liquid, pretending to drink the contents? However, be sure you head the warning from the drinking bird shop webpage:

WARNING: This product is not a toy and is not intended for use by children under 8 years of age. Use under adult supervision. Avoid breaking glass, contains methelene chloride and may stain clothing and other surfaces. Do not swallow or allow to come into contact with eyes. Flammable. Keep away from flame and other heat sources. CHOKING HAZARD: Contains small parts. Not for children under 3 years of age.

Everyone will drop their jaws in envy of the bearer of this fun and unique gift. Warm enough to keep tootsies warm on cold days, they're thin enough to wear comfortably with tennis shoes or boots. The fabulous footwear is mostly cotton, with some polyester and spandex to help hold its shape and reduce shrinkage. They come in men's sizes, to if you're buying for geek girls be sure to convert the size before buying -- because as we all know, size does matter!

This isn't your state-of-the-art, black plastic Taco Bell spork. Not at all. Sold from the geniuses at ThinkGeek, it combines the souper qualities of a spoon with the stabbing power of a fork. The titanium spork is similar in size to other utensils, but it's surprisingly lightweight. The next time I'm eating Chinese food straight from the box while running a D&D campaign over Skype, forget the chopsticks. Just give me a titanium spork!

Drive the geek on your Christmas list wild with joy over this computer-themed, environmentally friendly gift. The circuit board key ring measures 5.5cm long by 1.5cm wide and makes a great conversation piece. Hand-crafted by Clone Hardware and sold at Etsy.com, this upcycling artist uses computer parts to create unique items sure to please the geek in your life. I highly recommend that you check out the artist's Etsy page where necklaces, earrings, and other unique items are on sale for reasonable prices.

If the person on your Christmas shopping list is a geek, then chances are that person could use a flash drive. Personally, I cannot own too many of these. The black one stores copies of my oldest son's home school information, while the blue one is reserved for my younger son. The green one has all my finances. The pink one stores copies of my photos and other artwork. The red one is for my husband, who is a firefighter. The best part about it, they all tether onto a single key ring which gives me less opportunity to lose them. In addition to the easy, plug-and-play design of this trendy flash drive from Lexar, it works across platforms, has a twist-turn design to protect the USB connector, and boasts an LED light that blinks during file transfer activity.

Whether your geek is a gamer or just likes talking to others over Skype, this basic Logitech microphone is sure to come in handy. If they already have a microphone, don't worry! There's always a chance it will die in the middle of the night -- or worse, over a holiday weekend -- and need a backup. The monitor mount and optional swivel base makes it ideal for use with both laptop and desktop computers. Just plug into the computer's microphone jack and start chatting away!

Some geeks are methodical and follow a daily routine so strict that the Army turns green with envy. But more often than not, hours pass by before the geek turns his or her attention to other, non-computer-related things. This plant needs no soil, fertilizer, or regular watering. Its leaves absorb everything it needs for sustainability. Just a light mist every week or two should keep this air plant alive and healthy for years.

Better than opening a box and finding a puppy (who will completely depend on you for everything over the next ten years or longer) is a pet rock that plugs into the USB port of your computer. I'm not kidding. What geek wouldn't want to plug this (not so) fun and exciting pet rock into a USB port, charge it up, and watch it do -- absolutely nothing. That's right; it's guaranteed not to download any drivers onto the computer, not take up any electricity, and will work with any operating system, no matter how outdated! Sure, a puppy can lick you in the face after sniffing all the other dog's butts, but a pet rock will...do nothing, really. Fasten some googly eyes and a pipe cleaner mouth to give it personality. Make your pet rock some holiday-themed costumes. Or better yet, just let the rock sit there, plugged into your USB port, doing nothing at all.

See? Geeks aren't really hard to shop for at all, and they're relatively cheap compared to other sects of society -- like teenagers. One of the things about Christmas is the memories we share, and I hope this article gives you ideas to help create memorable -- if not silly -- gifts for the geeks in your life. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your comments. Merry Christmas!