How to save money when buying a laptop for college
Laptops are typically the computer college students choose because they are portable but pack enough features to accomplish what is needed for school. College is expensive and so are laptops therefore it’s important to save money anyway you can. So if you’re a budget-conscious consumer, this article is filled with tips we found about when the best time to buy a laptop for college is.
As with most products prices of laptops fluctuate throughout the year. Factors include supply and demand, competition, and seasonal sales therefore if you plan it correctly and have time to wait you can save a lot of money.
Best time to buy a laptop for college according to the experts:
The April Dip when new models arrive
April is when manufacturers usually start to release their new models of laptops. What this means is that resellers need to get rid of their old inventory so they have room for the new models. Therefore they lower the prices on older model laptops to entice customers to buy them. Don’t worry though these laptops are still considered new so warranty is still in effect. Please also note that some manufacturers don’t follow this pattern such as Apple. Apple usually has a special event to showcase their new products so you will have to look out for news about their new releases.
Back-to-School Sales
From Mid-July to Mid-September is when manufacturers aim for students and parents to shop for back to school supplies. The traditional back-to-school sales apply to laptops just like it does all the other school supplies. Customers should start looking in July because some manufacturers like to get a good jump on the back to school sales.
The Holiday Season
The time of year the most money is spent by consumers is during the holiday season. Everyone knows it starts with Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving. The holiday season continues with Cyber Monday for those who prefer to shop online. Finally the Holiday season wraps up with Christmas. So you pretty much a whole month for retailers to try and entice you to buy potential gifts. Therefore retailers offer great deals on items such as laptops just to get you to look at their store in hopes you purchase other items as well.
Days of the Week
You can even potentially even save money by buying a laptop on a certain day of the week. Mondays tend to be the best day of the week to buy a laptop because manufacturers usually announce their rebates on Mondays. Some retailers don’t advertise or mention rebates therefore asking the retailer about any potential rebates could save you considerable money on your purchase.
Time of Month
Many retailers reduce prices on stock the last 10-12 days of a month in order to make sales look better for that month. You can potentially find a bargain during this time of the month therefore it is worth looking into.
Comparison shop
Before you head out to buy a new laptop, it’s important to know what to look for. A lot of research is required and you need to decide what features you need the most. Do you need a fast Processor and a lot of memory? Does screen size and resolution matter? How long is the laptop’s battery life?
Once you have determined what you want and need tools exist like camelcamelcamel to track prices over time. Therefore this info will give you an idea on the time of year you will pay the least for the models you want. Some deal sites such as dealnews and BensBargains will list deals on laptops and usually mention if this is the best deal or not.
The Takeaway
Since prices of laptops fluctuate throughout the year therefore try to buy during one of the times mentioned above. Retailers and manufacturers have sales throughout the year so if you can wait until one of these times then you should be able to save some money. If you can’t wait that long try looking on a Monday or the last 10-12 days of the month to see if you can get any bargains.
Experts agree that spring (April), late summer (back to school), and the holiday season are generally the best times to buy a laptop if you want a killer bargain. This all depends on your needs. You may need the latest model laptop as it has features that you need. Therefore if this occurs then you may consider buying a refurbished laptop if you want to save money.
Most importantly the best time to buy a laptop for college is when you really need a new one. With this said if you can afford to wait then you can save quite a bit of money by buying within the time frames we mentioned above.