Free 365 Ways to Live Cheap by Trent Hamm Page A

with their other equipment. They return it to the store and get their refund, but then the store is often left holding a perfectly new item in a beat-up box, which they’re obligated to sell at a discount. If you’re about to buy an item in a store, ask about retail returns or open-box items, particularly if what you’re looking at isn’t the latest and greatest version of the item. You’ll often be surprised at how much of a discount you can get on a good-as-new item in a cardboard box with a torn flap.
    141. C HECK FOR D ISCONTINUED /F LOOR M ODELS
    Another way to save on electronics is to check out discontinued models. Many stores will steeply discount brand-new products simply because a product line is being discontinued by the manufacturer, often for reasons that have very little to do with the quality of the item. You can also often find a steep discount in retail stores by buying floor items—those that sat out in the store on display for customers to look at. If you’re certain of your feature list and find items in either of these categories that match the features you want, don’t hesitate to jump on board, especially if the warranty on the item remains valid (be sure to ask).
    142. I F Y OU G ET A R EBATE F ORM , F ILL I T O UT I MMEDIATELY
    It’s very easy to get lured in by a stellar price on an electronics item, only to discover that the low price is only that low due to a rebate. Retailers and manufacturers love to use the rebate as a method to make a price appear lower than it really is, because shoppers sometimes fail to send in their rebate form. Quite often, it’s because they simply forget about it. It’s another little task to do, one that’s easy to toss in a clutter attractor and forget about. The solution to that problem is simple: Fill out that rebate form as soon as you can, even in the car before you leave the store. Make it your goal to get it in the mail by the end of the day or else the likelihood that you’ll forget about that money will vastly increase, and a rebate form discovered after the expiration date is not worth anything at all.
    143. S END IN THE R EGISTRATION F ORM I MMEDIATELY —B UT D ON ’T F ILL I T O UT C OMPLETELY
    Most electronics products (and many other products) include a registration form that they ask you to send in. Quite often, you’re required to send it in to activate the warranty, and it also gives the manufacturer your contact information so they can notify you of product recalls or other important information about your product. However, there’s a trick—the form usually includes the basics (your name and address and the product type), but it also often includes a lot of other unnecessary stuff, like questions about your buying preferences and other products you’re interested in, for the sole purpose of filling your mailbox with targeted junk mail. Only fill in your name, address, and product identification unless you’re specifically required to fill in more to get the warranty, but get that card sent in, as that warranty and other information about the model can be vital.
    144. K EEP Y OUR W ARRANTY AND R ECEIPTS
    Inevitably, you’ll buy an electronic item and it will break. When that happens, it’s essential that you have the warranty on hand to know who to contact in order to fix the problem. When you do that, you’ll also need to demonstrate when and where you purchased the item. The best way to do that is to keep files on every significant item you buy. Keep a small filing box containing a folder for each major purchase, and within each folder keep the product manual, a copy of the warranty, and the receipt. Whenever you buy a new item, add a new folder to the box with that material inside. That way, when a problem occurs, you’ll have all the paperwork you need to take care of the problem in one easy-to-find place.
    145. K EEP I T C LEAN AND M INIMIZE THE D UST
    One of the biggest dangers to home electronics is dust and dirt. Dust is