The only thing sweeter than getting a gadget you’ve been pining for is getting it at a sweet deal. I go into deal-stacking mode when an expensive item I’ve been eyeing is at or near its all-time low price, with my goal being, “How low can I go?”
I recently purchased a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. During Best Buy’s Black Friday sale, the blue and white colorways of the Ultra dropped to $300. I checked the open box options and found a pair I liked for $270. Add a trade-in credit for an old pair of AirPods and 5% cashback via PayPal, and I paid just under $230 for a pair of $430 headphones. Here’s how you can save money with my favorite money-saving tips.
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5 Stay up to date on retail and sale pricing
The easiest and most obvious way to save
“Look out for sales” is a bold way to start a list of expert money-saving tips, but there’s more to it. You only want to track the current sale price and what the product typically retails for. When you know how much sellers like Best Buy, Amazon, and the manufacturer usually sell the product for, you know how much money the current discount saves you. We include the retail price when we write about deals here at AP, but you can also check by looking up the product at other stores that aren’t participating in the current sale.
Another factor to consider regarding pricing is how the current discount compares to previous deals. Is this the product’s all-time low price, or does it come close? You can look up this information on price-tracking websites, and we also include it here. When I want to buy a more expensive gadget, my jumping-off point is to ensure the item is at or near its all-time low price.
4 Look for applicable promo codes
Sometimes, a little digging goes a long way
Looking for promo codes also seems like a no-brainer for getting the best price, but it’s a staple step in my deal-shopping process. It’s as simple as going to your favorite search engine and typing the store name where your item is on sale or the promo code. Many sites offer these codes, and I typically go through them one by one. The experience is equally bad across most of them, which seem more interested in capturing your click-through commissions than providing accurate promo codes. Still, I don’t mind running through a handful of them in my quest for additional savings.
3 Shop for discounted gift cards
A great way to stack the savings
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Now we are getting to the good stuff. I don’t think most consumers consider searching for gift cards to increase the discount on their purchases, but it can help. I am talking about e-gift cards, which are purchased online and arrive in your email shortly after. The email typically includes a card number and often a short PIN for you to enter during checkout. Most major retailers carry e-gift cards and occasionally offer them at a discount, particularly around the holidays. For example, I recently purchased a $100 Adidas.com gift card from Best Buy for $80.
For the more adventurous, small third-party websites sell discounted e-gift cards. It’s a similar experience with promo code sites. Most feel slimy, but I successfully purchased discounted cards from the bigger-named places without issue. You can find them by searching for “discounted gift card” and the target store name. As with buying anything online, ensure the place is reputable and has positive ratings and reviews.
2 Look at your trade-in options
Most retailers offer a trade-in program
If you’re buying a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet or a more expensive accessory like higher-end headphones from a major retailer, the retailer may have some type of trade-in program. This is another method to help you pile on the savings since, like with gift cards, trade-in credit is stackable. The process is usually simple, with the retailer offering a quick, in-store exchange or a simple mail-in method with a provided shipping box and label.
The offer you get for your trade-in will likely be low, or at least appear to be low. If you think you can sell the item on a second-hand marketplace, give it a try. However, most of the time, I find that the convenience of trading in outweighs the extra few bucks I might have made selling the device myself.
1 Consider open box and refurbished models
Likely the same return and warranty policies
This is the most recently added tip to my toolbox. For a long time, I avoided anything that said refurbished or open box, thinking that the savings wouldn’t be worth the seemingly added risk of getting a bad product, but I have not found that to be the case.
My latest big purchase, the Bose QuietComfort Ultras, took advantage of an open box offer from Best Buy, and I couldn’t be happier. Best Buy, in particular, is good at this, as it gives you multiple options (excellent, good, fair) in varying conditions, and the discounts typically mirror the sale pricing (OB models always cost less than new). I went with an excellent open box unit. Other than some loosened packaging, the headphones I received looked untouched.
Similarly, I think proper refurbished units can be a good option for people looking to save extra money, particularly when they come from respected programs like Apple, which include new batteries, new shells, and the same warranty as their regular products.
Save money all year long
Even though the holiday shopping season is nearly over, you still have plenty of chances to implement these tips over the coming weeks and months. There are always New Year’s deals, and before you know it, it’ll be Valentine’s Day. Plus, you can save money by avoiding bleeding-edge hardware. Stay tuned to Android Police for more daily deal coverage and money-saving tips.
