There has been plenty of discussion in the news about being thrifty this holiday season. We firmly believe that being thrifty doesn’t mean that you can’t get something meaningful and fashionable for the ones you love. There are technology fashion gifts under $50 that your friends and family will be excited to receive.

Already, we are hearing that laptops are one of the #1 purchases for the 2009 holiday gift season. So, why not get that someone special a laptop bag to protect his or her laptop in style? Several styles from athena, including the flap laptop bag(pictured), offer a stylish choice at less than $50 for the ladies. Netbooks, laptops 10″ and smaller, have come on strong this year. Whether male or female, there are cool netbook cases under $50, like the tucano vertical laptop messenger bag, mobile edge portable laptop backpack, and the sumdex mini notebook case.

Giving a laptop sleeve is a great way to go if you’re not really sure what style bag will make sense. A sleeve can be carried solo or in another bag (even ones that are not necesssarily laptop friendly). Many of these are priced as low as $20-$35. If you can be sneaky enough to find out the dimensions or size of your recipient’s laptop, it will make for a better fit, as laptop sleeves are meant to be form-fitting. We especially like the polk dot collection from isis dei. There are also greensmart’s neogreen laptop sleeves, which are eco-conscious, as they are made with 25% energy than neoprene.