SHARE ON
Buying Refurbished
Buying a new piece of tech brings a certain level of excitement. But when you actually consider the level of quality you are getting when you make your purchase, there isn’t that much difference between a brand-new product and a lightly used, refurbished version. Now, it might seem dicey to buy a cell phone or television that has been used, confirmed to be faulty, and then fixed to be labeled as “refurbished,” but there doesn’t have to be so much worry associated with the word. There’s actually laws in place that prevent companies from selling refurbished products and advertising them as brand new. Just keep in mind the condition of the product you are looking to buy, if it has any warranties that you are purchasing with it, and if it is coming with its original accessories and documentation. If your gut doesn’t feel good about it, skip it, but you can definitely score some great deals this way.
Limit Your E-Waste & Save Some Cash
Let’s face it. A lot of us simply throw their old technology away, even when we know that’s not the best way to dispose of it. In fact, the facts out about how much e-waste there is on earth are staggering. Americans throw away over 151 million phones per year on average! What if, hear me out, instead of throwing that old iPhone away, you used it to bring down the bill of your next purchase? Some people definitely do this, but it’s not utilized nearly enough. Sure, screens get broken, companies penny pinch when it comes to offering incentives to trade-in your old devices, and there isn’t always much thought given to trading in your old devices, but you do have options. Facebook Marketplace, various apps, and several other tools exist to help you get some additional cash for your old tech. Are you going to get full value? No way. But you will save.
Being a Student Has Perks
Being a student brings more to it than writing papers and late nights in the library. That little student I.D. card attached to your lanyard (looking at you, Freshmen) can help earn you some serious discounts. Nice discounts don’t have to be reserved to your grandparents! Many companies are offering enticing student discounts to get students through the door and buying their products. Companies like Apple and Best Buy have been offering attractive discounts for years on the latest tech and students have been taking advantage of these deals for some time now. It’s a no brainer to pull that I.D. out and use it for something other than late night pizza!
Skip That Extended Warranty
Ah yes, the extended warranty the salesperson told you was a great deal! Let’s be honest, you didn’t need it and you probably lost money on the whole transaction. The one product you may want to consider these warranties on are cell phones due to their increasingly high costs and the fact that they’ve become some of the most beat up and fragile pieces of tech we use daily. But items like televisions and computers don’t often break spontaneously and you’ll probably get your money’s worth out of the deal without the warranty. There are so many reasons to skip the extended warranty, but we’ll keep it short and sweet: tech is produced to be replaced, not to be fixed. Do with that knowledge what you will but understand that the extended warranties are usually just another way to get some more money out of your pocket.
The Bottom Line
Buying brand new tech is always enticing. New phones, televisions, computers, and tablets hit the market every week it seems like, and we have been made to feel that we simply need them. The reality is that there are too many ways that you can save money on these products for your to ever pay full price. As we covered, buying refurbished is always an option, but if you’re not comfortable purchasing a product that might have some questions around it, you can still save money! Selling your old devices for cash or looking for trade-in offers can help you nab some cash to put towards your purchase. If you are a student, or even if you aren’t but still have your student I.D. (ones with no year printed are great!), you can usually use this to take advantage of great student discounts. Whatever the product or store, you have options, it’s just up to you to be resourceful!