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You are accustomed to the usage of your familiar keyboard and features. And then comes a time when you have to say goodbye to your old laptop on which you used to enjoy cozy evenings.
I, too, had to give up mine along with my Spectrum Internet packages subscription… Because when I finally got one, I didn’t have enough money left to pay the monthly fee!
In case you have already decided to get a new one, here are some tips that can really help you out! (And save some of your hard-earned bucks too!).
Pay for Features You Actually Use!
Unless you have planned to totally spoil yourself with this new purchase, there is no need to go for fancy features that you rarely use. Also, most of the features are of no use to a normal everyday user. You probably don’t need a backlit keyboard or tons of storage space for office use. Not going for features like high-end graphic cards, extra SD card slots can save you hundreds of dollars. You just need a moment to think about what features you actually need, before making the decision for the final purchase.
Know What You Need!
If your work involves constant photo and video edits, you should go for something with a powerful graphics card. If you are in a line of work where you have to travel a lot, you should choose a laptop with reliable battery life. If you have to run complicated programs on your system, you need good RAM and CPU power. If you are a music junkie, you need a solid hard drive.
The point is, you don’t need all of these at a time. And by choosing wisely, you can save money on what you buy too.
Old is Gold!
When you have to buy a laptop for work purposes and can go for something less than fancy, buy an old model. Generally, computer manufacturing companies bring new models every six months. Minimal changes are made to the overall design, capacity, or features of the new model. But if you look at their profit margins, they are very high.
So what happens to the older models? Yes. You are thinking in the right direction. These models are available at the retailer’s shop, and at discounted prices even! Buying one of these models (the one with the right specifications) can help you save hundreds of bucks. And they are also as good looking as the new ones!
Go for a Refurbished One!
Refurbished products are those products that failed to pass the quality control checks at the manufacturing level. They are then rebuilt and are available in the market as brand new units. The retailers and manufacturers sell them at discounted prices. Mostly the discounts are as much as 25%.
Although, you need to be careful when buying a refurbished laptop. Warranties are often wavered off. Also, check if there is a minor price difference between the new and the refurbished one. You know what to choose then.
Look Out for Discounts and Sales!
If your buying budget is above two hundred dollars, even a discount of 10% can cut out a large amount of money. If you can wait for the sale time of the year. Or look out for launching dates of new products, as it automatically brings down the prices of the existing products. Keep tabs on the sites that offer half-yearly and yearly sales.
April, August, September, and November are the months of the year when you can see the prices going down as new models are released. Also, look for holiday season sales.
Pro Tip: students usually get amazing discounts and deals between July and September.
Go for Non-Manufacturer Sellers
It is good to buy from Microsoft, Apple, or Lenovo, but almost always, you will have to pay more than you would at a non-manufacturer outlet. Retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco often come up with consumer-friendly deals. Even Amazon offers great holiday deals to help you save. Not just that, there are plenty of other websites that sell laptops and their accessories at quite reasonable rates. If you are lucky, you can also find one worth buying on an auction site and save hundreds of bucks.
Use your research skills here. Search online till you get the price you have the budget for. Also, you can find authentic customer reviews to reconsider your buying choice. Be consistent, and you’ll find what you are exactly looking for.
Be Cautious!
Take care of certain things when buying from a retailer. Check for warranty details. Read out the details. This might take a few minutes but helps you in the long run in case something happens to your laptop after a while of using it. Problems usually show up within the first few months of usage. Last year I bought a new laptop and had my Spectrum Triple Play package activated too. After only a few days the modem became faulty. So it is important to make sure they have a sound return policy.
