Second-Hand, Mobile Deals and Smart Hacks: My Frugal Approach to Buying Tech
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have noticed that unlike some of the other tech content creators, I don’t always invest in the latest and greatest tech.
My main reason for this is because I like to use tech and gadgets like a normal person would so that I can provide updated reviews throughout my time with the product. For example, I know many people who prefer to take phones out on contract instead of buying the out or getting them on pay monthly. These contracts can last anywhere from 12 months up to 36 months, which is a long time.
Sharing updated reviews of devices as they age is something I like to do as it helps a lot of people, especially if they are looking to buy an older or second-hand device, something which I will discuss in more detail later in this article.
My second reason is that I’m not that rich, and some of these devices cost a lot of money.
Lastly, sometimes I find that upgrading or getting the latest device isn’t always worth it.
That’s why I decided to share some of the ways I save money on technology.
So, without any further ado, here is my frugal approach to tech…
Buy second-hand
The most obvious approach to save money on tech and gadgets is to buy second-hand. But that comes with pros and cons. For example, if you are buying a smartphone, the battery life may not be as good compared to a brand-new model. The device may not receive support and updates, and the device may have a few hidden issues, which the seller may even not be aware off.
At the same time, buying second-hand can have advantages, such as cost savings, reduced e-waste, and since the device may have already been out for a while, you may have access to more reviews and experiences.
I’ve been buying second-hand tech for many years and during that time, I picked up some handy tips, which I’m about to share.
Starting with warranties, when buying second hand tech, I highly recommend checking out what warranty it comes with. I mean one of the issues with second hand tech that you may face (particularly if it’s a much older device) is that it may go wrong further down the line. But if you have a warranty, at least it puts your mind at ease if something was to go wrong in the future.
This is one of the reasons I like shopping at CeX, here in the UK (Not sponsored to say this). For those of you who are unaware, CeX stands for Complete Entertainment exchange, and they sell second hand tech. I like visiting as they offer a fantastic warranty (5 years on most items). How good is that!
For that reason, I shop at CeX both in store and online and it’s one of the first places I go to if I’m buying tech. As a matter of fact, I bought the keyboard I’m using to type this article with at CeX. For those interested, it’s the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini and I paid £75 for it at the time.
But CeX is not the only place that offers warranties, my main advice when purchasing second hand tech is that it has a decent warranty.
Change your mobile SIM plan or provider
Another great way of saving money is by simply changing your sim plan or provider. I recently moved to iD Mobile (not sponsored) because they were able to give me a better deal, than my previous provider, best of all it’s a 30-day rolling contract, which makes it easier for me to change plan or provider if I wanted to.
If you do end up changing providers, my only advice is that you check signal in your area and areas where you spend a lot of time in like work. I discovered that Three provides the best signal where I live and luckily iD Mobile operates using the Three network. But at work, I find that EE provides the best signal, whereas Three provides reasonable signal.
I’m currently on a sim-only contract, which doesn’t include a phone. But, sometimes you can save money even if you take a contract out on a phone simply by changing your mobile provider.
Another thing to look out for if you don’t want to pay for your phone in one go is pay monthly plans that don’t include the sim card, then just get a sim-only deal. Sometimes you can actually save money that way.
Please note that I am not a financial expert, these are just a few tips that may save you money. There are a number of things to look out for when signing up to contracts, such as price increases and all sorts. That is why I recommend reading contracts and reaching out to a financial or legal professional if you need help.
In terms of switching provider, I know it sounds scary, but here in the UK it’s actually a pretty easy process. If you want to keep your number, you simply ask your provider for a PAC code and give it to your new provider, and they do the rest. Please note that if you are in contract, you may have to pay an early exit fee with your current provider.
I’ve switched multiple times over the years and never had any major problems. But there are people out the who have had problems. The way I see it is that if you do face a problem and need to contact your new or old provider, the opportunity to do so will show you how good their customer services and support is.
Use free and open-source software
As someone who works in IT, I find that many people forget about free and open-source software, which is upsetting as there are some fantastic solutions out there.
For example, LibreOffice is a free and fantastic office suite that features a word processor, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams and more. Up until recently, it was the main office suite I used at home. The only reason I switched is because I’m trying out new features within the Microsoft Office suite.
Speaking about office apps, Google Docs is another free tool and best of all, you don’t even need to instal it on your computer. However, it is available to download on mobile devices.
I tend to use quite a lot of open-source software on my MacBook, Windows PC and virtual machines. Some examples of software I currently use frequently are Flameshot, an open-source screenshot tool I use for making tutorials and documentation. I also use OBS Studio for recording videos and tutorials, and Open Media Vault for my NAS server. But my full list is much wider.
In terms of apps, I know that there are many great paid apps available on the market, but you really have to ask yourself whether you need the paid version. In many cases the answer may be yes, but sometimes the free apps you already may have installed on your phone can do the job just as well.
Repair broken devices
There are times when repairing existing device may save you money, especially in the short run. However, it’s important to remember that repairing may end up costing you more than replacing in the long run.
That’s not to say that repairing is bad. I guess it all comes down to what the issue is, how much it costs to repair and how old the device is. As I will discuss later in this article, it’s always good to shop around to get the best deal.
In this case, it may be getting quotes and opinions of several repair experts and online, then deciding whether it’s worth repairing or replacing.
But, before making a decision, I highly recommend that you do the maths to see whether a repair is worth it. Consider what other issues your device is facing or is likely to face in the future.
If your device is under manufacturer warranty, it’s worth reaching out to see if the issue you are seeing is covered by the warranty. If it is you could save a lot of money by simply sending it in for repair.
It’s been a while since I sent in anything for repair, touch wood. But the last item I sent in for repair was my Samsung Galaxy Watch 1, I was tempted to buy new, especially as during that time there were new models available. But it was still under warranty, so I decided to send it in for repair and they repaired it. For those interested, the speaker stopped working on the watch.
Smart shopping tips
Tech purchases can be expensive, especially when buying the latest and greatest tech. But there are still ways in which you can potentially save money.
One of these ways is to simply shop around and I don’t mean just the online stores. As someone who used to work in a large electronics store, I can confirm that products can be cheaper in store, especially if they’re on manager offer or on clearance.
I also recommend seeing what services online shops and retailers offer with your product. For example, I recently ended up buying a new washing machine and to make life easier for me, I paid a little extra to have my old one taken away during delivery. That saved me from having to take it up to the recycling centre or arranging the council to pick it up, which also costs. Even with these types of add-on purchases, it’s worth shopping around as you may find both it cheaper in total somewhere else.
Another tip is to use apps to track price changes over time. I use an app called Karma, which allows me to add products to it and it will tell me when the product is cheaper. PriceSpy is another great tool if you want to check the prices of a product over time, which is great especially if you want to check if the product you are buying is at a good price.
It’s also worth being on the lookout for discount codes and offers. Just be aware that there are websites out there that pretend to to have deals and offers, but they can potentially be dangerous. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Final Thoughts
You may have noticed that throughout the article I said may and could several times. The reason for that is that these are just ideas on how you can potentially save money, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will. I recommend doing research and shopping around before making any purchase decision.
Ultimately, staying frugal with tech doesn’t mean you have to miss out – it just means being a bit more mindful about when and how you spend. Whether that’s fixing your existing tech, switching your mobile plan, or getting more out of free tools, the key is finding what works best for you.