Tech Savvy Daddy’s Deal Sites and Money Saving Tips

The economy stinks. People are losing their jobs, foregoing raises, and watching as retirement and college funds evaporate so some days it just feels so wrong to review the new flashy tech products. On one hand, I’d hate for you to waste your money on some lackluster product that won’t serve its purpose but if you are going to spend money, it is worth it to find the best deal out there and save some cash.

Where can you find the good deals?

Tech Savvy Daddy is the best deal hunter out there. I swear that if he had a superpower, it would be the ability to scan technical specs on any computer to find the best deals in cyberspace in a heartbeat. Like any superhero, it is just what he does to save our family and friends from exorbitant retail prices.

Here’s his super list of where to go to find the deals on computer related items:

• DealNews
• SlickDeals
• Ebay (auctions are too time consuming, find the Buy It Now listings)
• DealMac
• MacPrices.com
• FatWallet
• StreetPrices

In the market for a monitor? Tech Savvy Daddy also offers the following advice:

Monitors can be easily and cheaply be purchased through local Craigslist listings…People buy new laptops and dump their old monitors for low prices. People who are moving also dump their monitors because they’re fragile (CRT and LCD), and heavy (old tube monitors). Instead of a $500 Apple or $300 Dell monitor, you could probably do just as well with a $20 tube monitor or $100 LCD from Craigslist. Even if you buy a new Apple computer, don’t buy an Apple monitor… they look fabulous but are way overpriced. If you covet a 30” Apple Cinema display, consider a 24” or 22” monitor made by another company. Samsung and Dell have high quality monitors that are easy to find and a fraction of the cost of the Apple Cinema Display. But the Dell monitor prices do fluctuate wildly so watch DealNews carefully before you buy to make sure you get the best price.

And as an FYI- I use a 24” Samsung monitor purchased from Costco. It is a gorgeous thing that allows me to have 2 full size windows open side by side. I was able to indulge my desire for a super huge monitor because of Tech Savvy Daddy’s diligent research which proved that Costco had the best price for a high quality 24″ monitor. So do you research online but also stroll the aisle in your local warehouse store too for comparison purposes!

If you are looking for overall money saving tips to help reduce your household budget, many of the January posts on Being Savvy Washington DC were focused on saving money. Here’s a roundup of the month’s posts with my favorite being National Resources for Local Bargain Hunting. You probably know CraigsList but if you don’t know Freecycle, Freepeats, or Baby Cheapskate you have to read this post to save money on tech and kid stuff!

So even if you aren’t in the market for a new computer, monitor, peripherals, or baby/kid stuff, file this post away in the back of your mind, click the star in your reader, or social bookmark it. And you can thank us later!