For countless people, buying tech and gadgets isn’t just a hobby; it’s a way of life. Every new product released brings an urge to purchase it sight unseen as if it’s another trophy you can add to your collection. While this practice seems like a money pit, if you play your cards right, you can save money while maintaining a healthy obsession with tech and gadgets. Let’s dive in.
1. Always Search For Coupon Codes
Although you should always diligently search for promo and coupon codes for any purchase, it’s especially important to do so when shopping for tech gadgets. There’s a big difference between finding a code for 10% off a small, everyday purchase and getting 10% off a rather expensive piece of technology! Fortunately, many web browsers offer third-party extensions that can search for coupon codes for you in the background as you shop.
2. Buy Used
Who needs to spend their hard-earned money on something brand new that will eventually be obsolete in a year or two? To save a few bucks, consider buying used gadgets and tech. Although you lose out on essential perks like a manufacturer’s warranty by buying used, the savings can’t be ignored. It’s a roll of the dice, but it’s worth it in the eyes of many men and women!
3. Consider Last Year’s Tech
Don’t waste your time trying to keep up with ever-changing technology. In many cases, iterative releases aren’t worth paying for. Take the Apple iPhone, for example. There’s no significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 models! So, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, buy last year’s edition before shelling out the big bucks for “the latest and greatest” model.
4. Don’t Clout Chase
The previous iPhone example also highlights the downside of clout chasing: it costs money! You can’t keep up with the Joneses unless you open your wallet. Ask yourself: Why do you want the latest piece of tech? Is it to impress people you don’t know? Is it to validate yourself? When you ask yourself these questions, you’ll (hopefully) begin to realize you don’t need to spend money on tech at all.
5. Be Obsessive
Finding the best deals and saving money on tech and gadgets is a thankless job, and I’ve found that you’ll be more successful by being obsessive in your search! For me, this means constantly scouring websites and being relentless for deals. I subscribe to many Twitter feeds specializing in “drops” of amazing deals and use them to my advantage. When I decide I want something, I make finding the best price I can my only goal for the day. My girlfriend loves it — I become a monster!
6. Shop During the Holidays
Unsurprisingly, you can find the best deals on tech during the holidays. Black Friday and Christmas are historically the best times to shop, and even some so-called “holidays” like Amazon’s Prime Days are home to unbeatable deals. Let’s put it this way: If you’re buying gadgets on a random Wednesday in February, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
7. Buy Refurbished
If buying used products feels too wild for you, consider refurbished instead. Most tech retailers offer certified refurbished products at significant discounts! Often, these products are returned after customers lightly use them. They are then cleaned and tuned to “new” specifications and sold again at a lower price. For tech gadgets like headphones and computer equipment, it’s easy to find absolute bargains on some high-end products.
8. Think About It For 24 Hours
If you’re anything like me, tech purchases are synonymous with impulse shopping. To combat buying something I’ll regret, I think about it for 24 hours before I hit the “purchase” button on my computer. Nine times out of ten, I removed it from the cart the next day after I realized I never wanted to buy it in the first place! Having discipline when shopping for gadgets is one of the most essential traits you can have; the money you save will be massive.
9. Borrow Before Purchasing
When you think about it, it’s crazy that we buy products sight unseen before giving them a test drive. We’d all benefit from using tech products and gadgets before purchasing. If you have your eye on something, ask around; in many cases, a family member or friend already owns it (or something close to it), and borrowing the gadget for a few days will give you valuable insight!
10. Shop Around
Don’t limit yourself to one retailer, especially if that retailer is Amazon. While Amazon consistently has some of the best deals you’ll find online, don’t have tunnel vision if you want to save money on technology and gadgets. Always double-check other retailers (even eBay is worthy of price-checking) because you never know who will dare to challenge Amazon in a race to the lowest price.
11. Utilize Discounts
Sometimes, significant discounts can be had that go above and beyond a standard coupon code. If you have served in the military, are an educator, or are still in school, tech companies like Apple offer generous discounts you can take advantage of. These discounts are much appreciated; they make the price of high-end products like MacBooks and AirPods a little more palatable.
12. Consider Online Marketplaces
When shopping for gadgets, it’s easy to overlook other online marketplaces like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp. These platforms, of course, aren’t for the faint of heart; there are unique pieces of tech to be found, but you must have the courage to try them. I’ve discovered that discounts can be had on these platforms because people are willing to let their items go at a significant loss.
13. Buy the Cheapest Option
There isn’t much difference between famous brand-name products and generic brands for many gadgets, like computer monitors, keyboards, and wireless headphones. Sure, a $400 pair of Bose headphones will sound better than a $50 pair of Amazon knockoffs, but they also cost eight times more, and I promise you, you won’t get eight times as much sound quality! Save yourself the stress and buy the cheapest option; you’ll appreciate having the extra money in your wallet.
