5 Easy Ways to Save Money On Electronics

Much to my wife’s dismay, I am a guy who loves bright and shiny electronics and gadgets. But the good news for her is that I refuse to pay full price or anything remotely close to full-price for that matter. So, I look for ways to save money on electronics.

Over the years I have discovered some pretty cool tricks to find the best deals on electronics as humanly possible. Here they are in no particular order…

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Ways to save money on electronics this holiday season…

Easy Ways to Save Money on Electronics

Buy Refurbished When Possible

Are you a lover of Apple products but not a big fan of the hefty price tag? If so, consider buying your next iPhone, laptop, iPod, or iPad refurbished and save up to 30% off the original price.

Essentially a refurbished product is one that was sold brand new and had “a screw loose” and was returned to the factory to be fixed.

You are not really taking a risk buying a refurbished Apple product as it still comes with a 1-year warranty. In the end, it is a great way to buy your favorite Apple product at a nice discount.

Buy ‘Last Generation’ Items

Let’s be honest, unless you are one of those crazy “early adopters” who have to have the newest gadgets no matter what the cost, you’d be nuts to NOT buy last year’s electronics at a fraction of the cost.

This is especially true when you can shop clearance sales and save up to 50% off HDTVs at consumer electronics retailers. These clearance sales tend to happen twice a year right before the next generation models are set to hit the market.

Typically, you can look for these inventory clearance sales in July. If you don’t find a great deal in July, wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday in November as the deals are always insane and typically last right up to Super Bowl weekend.

Shop Open-Box Deals

Open-box deals fall into three categories: Items that were returned by customers, products that served as store display models, or items that were opened for inspection due to damage during shipping.

The top stores to find open-box deals are Best Buy, Sears, Newegg.com, Tiger Direct.com, and Amazon.com.

Amazon calls them ‘Warehouse Deals’ and they have some pretty amazing deals. One that caught my eye was a 32″ Samsung HDTV for only $225.

Before buying an open-box deal always make sure the item was inspected for full functionality and comes with the original manufacturer’s warranty.

Haggle for a Deal

Personal storytime, grab a cup of coffee and sit by my rocking chair, just watch your fingers. Several years ago I was in our local Best Buy buying a DVD player and home theater system.

I found the brand I wanted at the price I was comfortable with and then I had an epiphany.

What if I asked the sweaty teenager helping me if he could give me a better price if I bought both the DVD player and the home theater system?

I decided to do just that and he said he had to get approval from his manager. Within 2 minutes he came back and said they could give me $50 off the DVD player if I bought both today. I said, “Done deal, thanks!”

Don’t be afraid to haggle for a better price, especially when bundling products or if you see a slight imperfection in an item.

I think you’ll be very surprised with what consumer electronics stores are willing to do to complete the sale and make you a happy customer who is likely to return.

Do Your Homework

For Pete’s sake, always do your homework before you make an online or in-store electronics purchase. Read unbiased product reviews at CNET.com and use price comparison websites like PriceGrabber.com to find the store with the best price on your particular item.

The Internet is chalked full of great free information to help you get the most bang for your buck when buying electronics, make sure to use it to your advantage.

Here are some useful coupons to help you save money on electronics, cool gadgets, and even summer travel and apparel.

I have also included a link to open-box deals at Amazon.com and refurbished bargains from Apple Store.com. Happy bargain hunting.

About The Author: Kyle James, also known by his friends as the “Coupon Nerd”, is the founder of Rather Be Shopping.com, a site that has been helping consumers save money with coupons for over 12 years.