Over the last five years, I have always tried to find ways to save money on whatever I am trying to buy. After all, before May 4, 2019, I had been in college since August 2014, so anytime you can save money as a student is generally a good thing.
My background in this is pretty extensive. Just last summer, I was able to get a clear OtterBox Commuter case for my iPhone 8 Plus. Best Buy wanted $50 for it, but thanks to an Amazon price-match, I was able to walk out of the store with it for only $20.
Another case (no pun intended) was an OtterBox Defender case for my iPad fifth generation. Again, Best Buy wanted $90 for the case and I walked out of the store with it for $55 because Best Buy had it on sale that week.
The last case I am going to put in here is when I bought my iPad fifth-generation last year. I technically did buy it on sale for $280 at Best Buy. However, a week later, Best Buy had discounted it again and knocked the price down to $250. Some would think that I would be screwed and out $30.
Instead, Best Buy has a policy that if you buy a product, on sale or not, and then see within two weeks that the company discounted that product after you purchased it, you can go there and get the difference back to you.
So, what are the best ways for you to save money on tech and other items?
The first part is to constantly be researching that product and looking for it from as many different sites and stores out there. Most retail stores will price-match in 2019. This is something that I recently did with the MacBook Pro that I just purchased this weekend.
Best Buy (let’s just say I have purchased a lot of stuff at Best Buy over the last couple of years) had the laptop discounted at $100 off earlier in the week. Some would think that that would be a good deal to get since it is $100 off, after all. But for me, I was thinking bigger.
On Saturday morning, I saw that Best Buy was having a one-day sale and had the exact MacBook Pro that I was looking for at $300 off the regular price. That’s a very good price and a generous discount. That afternoon after I got off work, I went and purchased the laptop.
At the end of the day, you want to be researching the item you want left and right. You need to be not only looking at prices but also looking at reviews of the product too. This can be done through sites like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and many others. On top of that, look into unboxings and reviews from known and established tech YouTubers. They will be able to give you the best insight and let you figure out whether or not it is the right laptop for you.
Be sure to also look into loyalty reward programs too. This can come in the form of discounts at the time like 10-20 percent off of your purchase or if they give you rewards after you purchase your item. The ones that come after you purchase your item can come in handy for highly discounted or downright free items after you have made your purchase.
You will need to know the difference between a good sale and a bad sale. Like I said with the MacBook Pro that I purchased, Best Buy had it for $100 on sale during the week. However, I knew that it was a sale but not a good sale and that Best Buy could do better. Heck, I could do better!
Now, when it comes to buying simple things like food and toys, again, you have to make sure to check the competition. I do this a lot with the 4-packs of Starbucks Frappuccinos.
My grocery store will sell them regularly for $6.50, but there have been times when Target or Walmart will sell them for $4.50-5.00 a pack, so that really is a good deal. I present the deal to the cashier and then alter the price. It’s that quick and simple.
I’d also say that you need to look into digital coupons and app exclusive coupons. I have been able to use these before to save money on things like Mountain Dew and other two-liter bottles of soda too.
Overall, it is all about the research and looking at what the competition is offering, as well as knowing a good sale from a bad sale. If you can do all of that, you will be the person that everyone wishes they could be when it comes to buying products. Best of all, you’ll be the one saving the most money.
