Electronic gadgets such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, cameras, etc have become integrated into our daily lives. For people like me, it feels like it was just yesterday when only a few people owned them.
But now everyone has one. Heck, even young children have electronic gadgets nowadays.
Part of the reason why a lot of people now have access to gadgets is that manufacturers are flooding the market with new gadgets every six months or so.
A lot of people got entangled with the hype of buying the latest gadgets that they could get their hands on. And buying the latest gadgets may not always be the wisest idea – money-wise.
Here are a few tips that we’d like to share with you that could help you save money on gadgets.
Table of Contents
Don’t Buy the Latest One
The latest product is just an upgraded version of the last release. And more often than not, the specs were just bumped a few notches higher than the last one.
In case you want to buy the latest flagship phone from a particular brand, then just wait until they release a new one. The price of the previous flagship will definitely go down and you’ll be able to save money.
Buy Refurbished
In some countries, manufacturers are giving consumers the option to buy refurbished items that come complete with a warranty.
Refurbished items are actually as good as new since they went through the quality control team of the manufacturer. Refurbished items are also priced lower compared to their brand-new, non-refurb counterpart.
However, be aware that not all refurbished items are refurbished by the manufacturers themselves. Some items are being refurbished by third-party sellers. So to be sure, buy directly from the manufacturer.
An example of this is Apple. Apple sells Certified Refurbished products straight from its website. You’d be able to save some money by buying refurbished items directly from manufacturers and most of the time it also comes with a warranty.
Buy Secondhand
Buying second-hand gadgets can save you a lot of money but be careful in buying second-hand. It’ll be better if you could buy second-hand electronics from people that you know so that they could be honest about the existing flaws or defects (if there are any) of the gadget that you’re buying.
If you’re buying from second-hand stores online or offline, ask for feedback from people who have bought some items in the same store, and ask them if they’ve had any concerns with the items they bought.
Also, ask the second-hand shop if they give a store warranty in case the item is defective.
If you are buying online, you can meet up with the seller before deciding to purchase the item so you can inspect if there are any physical flaws or performance issues with the gadget.
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Protect Your Electronic Gadgets
Treat your newly bought gadget as an investment and buy protective gear that can help prevent scratches and help protect your gadgets from possible drops.
Give your smartphone a screen protector and a hard case. Buy sleeves for your laptops. Keep liquids away from your gadgets to avoid them from getting spilled on.
Protecting your gadgets will help make them look great even if you use them frequently and will help command a better selling price in case you decide to sell them in the future.
Also, make sure to install protective software as well such as antivirus and anti-malware programs to avoid acquiring a virus from browsing the internet.
Schedule Your Purchase
Do you know when the latest shopping mall in your area often holds its annual sale?
Maybe you could wait for that day before you buy a new gadget.
Or perhaps you could wait until Black Friday (if you’re in the US) to take advantage of the huge discounts that are being offered during that time of the year.
Get a Phone Plan that Gives a Free Phone
If you are currently on prepaid, monitor your minimum and maximum usage, and get the average. For example, if you spend an average of P500 ($10) per month on calls, texts, and data charges, why not consider getting a phone plan equivalent to this amount?
You will get a free phone on top of your plan or you’ll have an option to buy a heavily discounted more expensive phone (which you could sell to earn some money).
I subscribed to a very affordable plan and I shelled out some cash so I could get the latest flagship phone during that year.
I remember getting as much as a 50% discount on the price of the phone (comparing the cash-out price to the retail price of the phone).
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Do you have any additional tips on how you could save money on gadgets? Feel free to share your thoughts on the comment section below.
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