Recently, I have started to take better care of my spending habits. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I have a weakness for electronic gadgets. As a result, I’ve been working on changing how and what I purchase so I can afford the items without breaking the bank nor paying retail prices.
Open Box Specials
Currently, I’m in the market for yet another Mac Book Pro and Apple does not make any inexpensive devices. As a result, I’m trying to purchase open-box items at local stores and these deals are better than Craigslist, Ebay or Amazon combined. I witnessed a gentlemen purchase the June 2009 model of a 15″ MacBook Pro for $1000!!! Folks, these machines start at $1699 so the savings was huge. If you are not aware, I am also a Dave Ramsey fan so I’m confident would endorse this method of purchasing especially since the same manufacture warranty was included. Have you considered purchasing an open boxed item? Often times, there’s nothing wrong with the item but the original purchaser changed their mind and returned the item.
Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist
I’ve also begun purchasing and selling on Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist. There are great deals on all of these sites for new and used items that are priced lower than retail stores. If you’re skiddish about Here’s how I use these sites:
Amazon
If I want to buy or sell a high-price item and get the best protection, I use Amazon. Items such as electronics and a few books are typically what I sell. Additionally, since Amazon offers money towards shipping, it takes some of the hassle out of shipping. I’m not saying that Ebay doesn’t have some protection but the perception is that Amazon is safer so I typically use them for items that are easily shipped and I want the better price without the bidding aspect. Another advantage of using Amazon is they provide all the photos and description of the items so as a seller, Amazon provides a pretty hassle-free experience.
As far as security, someone recently tried to scam me on an item that I was selling. I sent the information to Amazon and they confirmed the scam. Whew!!! The transaction looked correct initially but in the end, the normal process of how Amazon operates were not followed and that was the tip-off. One problem when trying to sell on Amazon is that if the item isn’t listed in their database, then you cannot add it as a new item unless you have a Pro Merchant account.
Ebay
I typically use Ebay when the item doesn’t exist on Amazon and/or I want to add a video demonstration to the item. Canned photos on Amazon don’t always make the cut when selling an item and Amazon doesn’t allow links to external websites like YouTube or Photo hosting sites to show your item.
Craigslist
I love using Craigslist when I have an item that would be too much of a hassle to ship or the fees associated with Ebay don’t make it worthwhile to sell on that platform. I’ve sold an older digital video camera that used tapes for the media when I wanted to upgrade to a camcorder that used secure digital (SD) cards. I’ve also used it to help a friend purchase a car and after test driving it and retrieving the CarFax details, it was a great deal. I like Craigslist for cash-and-carry deals but as a seller, this method is just a step above yard sales in the aspect that the buyers want to pay as little as possible. As a result, if you’re trying to make even a slight profit, then Ebay or Amazon maybe better options.
Just plain old cheap or is that Frugal?
In some regards, I’ve just gotten cheap or I would like to think frugal. I use rechargeable batteries for my TV remotes and wireless computer mice instead of buying expensive batteries over and over. I take empty water bottles through airport security so I can fill-up at the water fountain for free. I use Google Voice to make phone calls over the internet and keep my minutes low on my cell phone plan. I also use Skype to make video calls or conferencing calls over the internet and that reduces my phone bill. Truth be told, I use Vonage as my phone service so my bill is always the same no matter how much I talk.
At the end of the day, my goal is the save money where ever possible so I have it for for savings, geek toys, vacationing and other things that I desire. So stop paying retail prices whenever possible. There’s money to save!!!
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