"The gift that keeps on giving" (Score 1)

Sure, you could give all kinds of garbage that will probably be obsolete by the time next Christmas rolls around; but why not give something that will last a little longer?

How about giving your friends memberships in organizations that promote worthy ideals? Some good examples are the ACLU and EFF (as mentioned above). The money that you spend on a gift like this benefits everyone, by helping in the fight to hold onto the precious little freedom we have left. This is great for every budget, most organizations have memberships in the $20 - $30 range, putting them squarely in the "Less than playstation2" category, but I am sure any organization would gladly accept a $1,000,000+ donation (from the "unlimited" range).

Plus there is some geek prestige to be had by pulling an EFF membership card out of your wallet.