Money Matters: Buying Used

My friend, Ruth, recently blogged about one of the major inconviences of life, losing your camera right before you are about to go on vacation. She asked for suggestions and ideas from people for what to get in way of a replacement camera without having to spend a lot of money. It just so happens I have a few ideas!

Of course one way to go is to watch the sale adds, shop around and do your internet research. You can definitely find some good deals out there that can save you a good 10 to 20%. But when it comes to electronics, there is actually a much cheaper way to acquire perfectly good equipment at less than half the cost and that is to buy used. Household electronics are one of those things that people are constantly upgrading for newer better models when their older models are still in perfectly good working condition. By getting a slightly dated model that still works perfectly you can save more than half of what you would pay to buy new. For instance, Don and I saved about $500 by buying 48" flat screen TV used off of Craigslist. We also got a used GPS unit when we moved to California to help us learn to navigate the city which we saved about $80 on.

When it comes to shopping for used electronics, Craigslist is an excellent way to go. Ads are listed by territory so you can shop local and go and test the equipment in person before you hand over the cash. Ebay, is also another great option and gives you much more options but will have to pay for shipping and handling also. Got your own household electronics that you need to get rid of? Try listing your own add like Don and I did for an old washer/dryer and refrigerator we had to get rid of. Not only did we make some extra cash, but the new owners hauled them away for free!