Chances are, one of the most significant factors that’s eating up your budget is the purchase of new electronics, specifically new laptops. You need your laptop for entertainment, work, or to study and you can’t afford not to have one, but can you afford to buy a new one, either?
According to Statista’s report on the average selling price of personal computers, you’ll likely pay somewhere around $629 for a laptop or PC released in 2017. This figure is expected to increase though, due to the rising prices of components such as memory units and hard drives.
Although the price is set to go up, rather than down, there are ways to save money on a laptop as I’ll explain below.
Buy Refurbished Laptops
Did you know that you can save a substantial amount of money by buying a refurbished laptop instead of a brand new device? For example, while a brand new Apple MacBook may well set you back by upwards of a thousand dollars, you could buy a refurbished one for under $500 which is a phenomenal bargain. There are plenty of places where you can buy refurbished MacBooks, including GameStop and refurbished price comparison platform RefurbMe. Because the inventory of refurbished products often fluctuates, it can sometimes be difficult to find the best deal available. RefurbMe allows you to create notifications for when a product is available and compare the quality, return policies and warranties of refurbished products.
It’s important to point out the difference between a refurbished laptop and a used one – refurbished means that the laptop has been tested, cleaned and repaired if needed whereas a used laptop is a laptop that is typically sold on as-is by its previous owner and does not include any protection for the buyer. Not only are refurbished laptops going to be a better quality, but the warranty will also give you some added confidence.
Wait for Sales Periods
If you aren’t in a rush to get a new laptop or your aging laptop still has a few weeks or months left before it just stops turning on altogether, then you could also wait for sales periods. Different shopping holidays mean different discounts, with retailers cutting the prices of specific sorts of products during periods when there is less demand for them.
Back to school sales events are especially useful for buying laptops and other computer accessories as so many people use them to write essays, to perform research, and to take notes during classes an lectures. The best times for this are August and Labor Day in September because the leftover school supplies will be discounted even further.
Don’t Buy Features You Don’t Need
Our final tip on how to get a laptop replacement for a cheaper price is less about retailers and more about keeping yourself in check. Buying refurbished usually gives you access to high-end specs at a much lower price, but if you’re buying brand new, you’ll be paying an exorbitant amount for the same features.
Ask yourself, do you need a specific feature and figure out how will it benefit you. Do you really need a higher screen resolution? The answer is yes if you’re a designer or someone who is going to be watching a lot of television shows and movies on their laptop but the answer is probably no if it’s a starter laptop for a child. Figure out how you use your laptop and then decide what features to look and pay for.
Buying a laptop can be extremely expensive but if you know how to be a savvy shopper, it really doesn’t have to be. So shop smart and save money on your next computer.
