It is an undeniable fact that technology makes our lives easier and everyday work around the house more convenient and time saving. Aside from making our work easier, technology developments made personal home entertainment systems equipped with all imaginable gadgets practically a normal thing for every household. However, we often go to other extreme and buy everything that is available on the market and advertised as the latest development, discarding the previous generation of devices, becoming typical members of consumer society. Is there a way out of this vicious circle? Luckily, there is and here is how you can save money on home technology without falling behind on anything significant.
Buying on impulse
Impulse shopping is the worse enemy of a home budget. Buying stuff just because you like how they look, without doing your check on prices of the same item in different stores often results in spending more money than you are supposed to. The worst case scenario is buying expensive and buying something just for its appearance, without any technological and implementation benefit. For example, a laptop with a shiny new case and the same system inside is only prettier than your old one at home, by no means more functional or faster. A pure waste of money, pass on it.
Do your research
As we said, buying on impulse is the worst enemy of your budget. However, waiting for the last moment to buy something is another powerful home budget opponent. If any of devices you regularly use, such as a washing machine or a TV set, for example, is counting its last days, do not wait until they die out on you because you will have to rush your purchase and probably end up spending more than necessary. If you see that some of your home appliances need to be replaced, do the research on new models offered throughout the shops in your city and compare prices. People are often surprised to see how significantly the prices differ from one store to the other.
Choose a model
If it is time to buy something new, it is research time again. There are products in each category of home appliances that have a similar outlook and functionality, offering the same features and having almost identical price. Therefore, it practically does not matter which one you will buy. Well, not really. Very often people forget to check the warranty different manufacturers offer for their products. Naturally, the longer the better, so make sure you check that too. Another long term thinking characteristic of every responsible buyer is opting for energy efficient appliances. They may or may not cost anything more than those that are not energy efficient, but every extra sum you invest will certainly pay of through reduced electricity bills you will receive in the future
Do not pile up
Technology get outdated and even obsolete very often and very fast. How many of us still remembers tape recorders and VCR’s, not to mention record players and radios? Unless you are a keen audio lover, do get rid of all these old devices, all the music you have in the old formats can easily be found in a digital one. Of course, by all means do not just throw them away, advertise and sell them. Digitalize all your old VHS cassettes and sell your VCR too. The same goes for home theatre systems . If you are transferring to a 7.1 or a 9.1 system you will need space to position them properly, so there is really no practical reason to keep your old 5.1.
Consider refurbished items
Buying factory refurbished items can be a significant money saver. If they come with the same factory warranty as the regular ones do, they are well worth considering. This is especially true for bulkier appliances, such as dish washers, washing machines or refrigerators since the majority of refurbishing reasons comes from damages that were made during transportation not their actual use. With those parts being replaced in the factory itself, these appliances are as good as new.
To sum up, your home budget will benefit most if you plan your shopping in advance, after you do the research what different stores have to offer, as well as your true needs. Having that covered, you are ready to enjoy your shopping.
