Affordable Tech: Refurbished Servers, Phones, TVs and More

                I’ve always found myself to be more willing to treat myself to a gadget than a fancy meal at an expensive restaurant. Some of us just enjoy technology more than the others, and it’s through this enjoyment that I’ve amassed a sizeable collection of everything from computers and smart phones to TVs and tablets. If you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy the amount of utility and entertainment value encompassed in a collection of tech. However, technology can pose a large cost problem. If I were always racing around finding the newest, fastest, and most powerful technology on the market, I would have little to no money left! Instead, I opt to buy my tech second hand when available, and with a careful bit of budgeting, I’ve stayed well below budget while still adding to my collection. If you’re building your collection, you’ll probably be looking at three areas I indicated earlier: TVs, phones, and computers. Here are a few tips for each of these categories on finding the best deals.

Finding an Affordable TV

As of the writing of this article, the current “best and brightest” in TV technology are LED TVs and 4K displays. I’ll start off by saying that if you’re expecting to find an LED TV with a 4K display for a half-off discount, you’re going to be largely disappointed. The best bet is to look for LCD TV’s from major manufacturers like Sony or Samsung. These offer a higher degree of quality compared to similarly sized LCD TVs. From here, it is best to look for factory refurbished TVs. These are televisions which were returned back to the factory for some reason, perhaps for a factory error a dead-on-delivery malfunction. However, the manufacturer doesn’t simply retire the television. They repair it and offer it as a discount as an opened/refurbished product. This is the same quality as a brand new television.

Upgraded Phones Without Contract

It seems like the only way you can come across an affordable phone is by agreeing to a two year contract (or some equivalently long-term, binding agreement). Just because you want to upgrade your phone doesn’t mean you need to lock yourself into another contract. The used market can be a good resource for an affordable phone, but only if the quality of the phone can be verified. Phones undergo a certain amount of wear and tear in use, so the older a phone and the more it was used, the more likely it will show its age.

Computer Equipment

Computer equipment is a costly investment new, which is why so many people opt for the alternatives. The best alternative is refurbished equipment, which has been maintained, cleaned, and tested before you ever purchase it. Refurbished computer resellers often stock a large quantity of parts and can build an entire system for you from scratch, which helps with cost and customizability. Refurbished server deals like these are a common choice for small businesses, and can certainly proof an excellent cost advantage in home computer builds as well.