Saving money is the trend nowadays with the bleak financial conditions of a majority of individuals around the world. It doesn’t help that the technology industry always come up with computers, gaming consoles and entertainment systems that leave computer geeks drooling and wanting to upgrade.

I am a self-proclaimed computer geek and yet, with my love for and fixation on computers and technology, I can also be the most frugal consumer there is. Some computer geeks would not think twice on spending hard-earned cash to support their geeky lifestyles but it wouldn’t hurt to find ways to tighten the belt and look for potential ways to save, right?

If buying a new or upgrading to a higher version of electronic devices, there are some no-brainer ways to save money; they are as follows:

  • Read, Research, Review. I always find these 3 R’s of buying helpful not only in purchasing new computers or other electronic devices but also on most consumer goods, products and services. It is very important to go online and research about the product that you plan to buy. Search for reviews and real testimonials and read substantial information that you can find about the product. Also, it would help to review what you really wanted in your new “toy”. Do you need to purchase add-on specifications or would you be fine with the basics? It would also help if you are clear between your “wants” and your “needs”; most of the time, the former is more expensive than the latter.
  • Discounts, Coupons, Rebates and Promotions. Every dollar counts. Even if you have the money to spend, it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of promotions and discounts that some stores may offer. Do your homework and make a research, which stores offer the most affordable price? Check online stores as well, there might be promotional codes and coupons that you can use to save more dollars. Some stores match prices too, you might want to take advantage of that as well. It’s not really fussy, you might think it’s an overwhelming task in exchange for a few dollars but you can never tell how much you can save if you take advantage of sales and promotion offers.
  • Find Gems on Refurbished Items. Some stores offer refurbished electronic items that will allow you to save within the range of 5-25% off the original price. Not bad. Some buyers avoid refurbished items though thinking that these are used and damaged computers. This can be true and some are even computers that didn’t pass the brand’s quality control but there’s a reason why it is called “refurbished” because it is perfectly that – restored and repaired. It’s as good as new. One very important thing to consider when buying refurbished items though is the length and coverage of warranty. You may want to thoroughly check that area before buying refurbished electronic devices.
  • Upgrade if you Can. This one doesn’t apply to every electronic device but is very applicable to personal computers or PCs. If your old computer is upgradeable – meaning, you can add more memory (RAM) to it or upgrade to a higher processor or upgrade to more hard disk capacity, maybe upgrading is a much cheaper route than buying an entirely new PC. Also, if the reason why you wanted to replace your old computer is because you are having issues with speed and performance, then you might want to check on cheaper ways to solve the issue. There are numerous system tools like PC Speed Up, which will not cost you more than $50 but can definitely help you speed up your computer and upgrade its performance.

There are several ways to save money on electronics if one just keeps a focused mind on saving rather than spending. We are computer geeks (at least I think I am) but we don’t want to compromise our geeky standards just to be cheap as much as we don’t want to end up with an empty wallet and bank accounts because of our love for electronics.