We all love tech and we'd buy quite a bit of gadgets and tech-related products if we had an unlimited budget, however this isn't the case. As such, most people have to stay on budget or pay the cost of having too much tech around and thus wasting precious savings.
1. Delay Delay Delay
If some items aren't absolutely necessary, I usually delay for as long as possible before getting them. Even if you'd love to get a new laptop, do you absolutely need it? I just delay and stay away from impulse purchases. The delaying tactic works extremely well for this. Also, if you stay away from tech stores, you won't feel the need to splurge as much as before.
2. Pay Cash and Cash Only
If the credit crunch and the recent economic crisis haven't taught you to stay away from credit card purchases, you most definitely should. Most consumers have large amounts of money available on their credit cards immediately, which just helps to foster the impulse buys. I find that since I pay for all of my purchases with cash or debit cards (directly tied to my bank account), I rarely use any form of credit when it comes to tech. Also, if you pay cash on some purchases, you might save some additional money as well.
3. Bargain
Unless you're making your tech purchases at a big chain store, you can easily bargain when buying a bunch of tech. I've saved anywhere from 5% to 20% on purchases this way. The most important thing is that you shouldn't be afraid to walk away from the deal.
4. Shop Around
While we all have our favorite tech shops, it's best to shop around as much as possible before making a big purchase. This is also applicable to purchases made online. Using Amazon, Froogle, and other online resources, I tend to verify if the price I have is the best around. A few bucks might not make a difference, but 5% to 10% will most definitely.
5. Buy Last Year's Tech
The latest and newest tech always costs the most. You can save quite a bit of money if you buy older tech, from a year ago. Unless the product dramatically changed, it's possible that the tech is almost identical to last year's models.
[photos by TomagoGame, Range, Computer Choppers]





Comments (4)
I buy a new mac every 6-8 months.
I never buy full price. I only buy from Apple refurbished, or on eBay.
I always wait until a brand new one is released, wait a couple of weeks, then buy the previous generation once their price drops due to the new ones.
I always buy the lowest spec so I can upgrade the RAM and Hard Drive myself which saves money overall.
I always sell the old one it's replacing with maxed out RAM, Hard Drive and 2-3 years AppleCare (you can get AppleCare upgrades on eBay for a fraction of Apple's prices)
Right now I've got a 2009 13" Macbook Pro. Got it for £680 2 weeks after the current ones were released. Upgraded the RAM to 4GB and the Hard Drive to a 7200rpm 320GB myself. Got a 2 year AppleCare upgrade for £60!!
Even the big box stores will sometimes bargain if you're buying a BIG purchase, like a giant TV.
@chirho
why do you buy a new ,ac every 6-8 months? This just seems excessive. I am a designer and my imac from 3 years ago is still working fantastic. I have since maxed out the ram and dropped a new 1tb HD in a week ago, but none the less it still runs everything I need. It's kind of like trading a car in every year, even though you are buying the previous model, you are still going to be losing money on your trades.
Also, most people will have trouble buying the lowest spec then upgrading. I doubt most would have wanted to play around with a 24" LCD (or a glass front on the newer ones, or a 27" LCD) to get to the HD in an imac. So you have to figure in the cost of having someone else help you, that could be cold hard cash or a case of beer.
@chirho
Wait, you're saying that to stay 'on budget' with tech, you buy a new Mac every six to eight months? I'm sorry but that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I upgrade my Macbook and iMac alternatively every two years when the new model comes out, so I can still have the latest models without spending more than £1500 on computers in two years. Works well for me.