Best Money Saving Techniques For Tech
In today’s modern age, everyone is raving about the best money saving techniques. And this extends to our media and the way we enjoy videos games, movies, TV shows, music, and all kinds of entertainment media.
With so many gadgets to consider, upgrades that these gadgets may need over time, maintenance of your tech to consider, and it can quickly become not only daunting but expensive to run so much technology.
But it doesn’t need to be! The joy of living in the modern world is that there are plenty of ways to cut some corners and save without diminishing your experiences with the digital world of media. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best money saving techniques for tech.
And you don’t need to be a tech expert to use these methods either!
Consider An All-In-One Set Up
If you are part of a family unit that uses a lot of tech, or you use a lot of tech yourself, then this tip can save you hundreds (literally). Tech giants seem to be diversifying their portfolio of available technological devices and pushing a buying model that you can get different devices for different functions that seamlessly sync together.
This is a wonderful idea for those that have the cash to throw at this kind of idea. But not everyone does. So, what can be done about this? Well, que the drum roll; enter the multi-platform setup. What is it? How does it work? Why consider it? Let’s delve!
More and more people seem to be opting for an all-in-one kind of setup using a desktop computer and that is what we mean by a multi-platform set-up. That is, to use it is a computer that can support streaming your favourite shows and movies to gaming to browsing for nearby coffee shops to try; all with one device.
Now, we say ‘one device’ but really, this includes a screen or monitor set up as part of that (which you need anyway). However, linking up a computer, and any other devices like consoles to one screen allows you to save on multiple screens that only get used occasionally.
Want to use the console for the latest game you bought? It is a simple case of switching the screen modes. You can also set up a speaker system and hook it into this one screen set up to give you, essentially, a TV set up.
And with things like Netflix and online streaming services, you can access these entertainment platforms via consoles or computers anyway. No more buying a super expensive TV – just invest in a decent monitor for an all-in-one set-up.
However, this method does require you to upgrade your machine every 2-3 years or so to keep it efficient. This moves us nicely onto;
Upgrade, Don’t Always Buy New
And this goes for both your desktop computers and your laptops. Upgrading can be an expensive endeavour but is cheaper than buying a new model every few years. The difference – for the not so tech-savvy our there – is replacing parts of the computer rather than the whole computer itself.
That way, you can only replace the parts you need to replace without spending on parts that don’t need a replacement.
For parts like Power Supply Units (PSUs), hard disk drives (HDDs), and solid-state drives (SSDs) – they are usually pretty standard across entertainment machines and server machines alike. You don’t really need to know the difference between entertainment machines and server machines to apply this method for your own tech. You can click here for more information.
While server technology is not really designed for entertainment purposes, the parts mentioned above are interchangeable between these two types of machines. That means, instead of buying new parts marketed as parts for entertainment devices (that usually have mark-up), you can easily source parts for server machines that will perform the same function.
Companies like ETBTechnologies are experts when it comes to server technology, and they provide a wide range of parts like the parts I mentioned above.
But sourcing HDDs, SSDs, and PSUs is a good way to save as they stock professionally refurbished technology as well as new parts. These refurbished parts are cheaper too.
A good rule of thumb is to always consult an IT expert if you are not as knowledgeable about this kind of stuff – as not every part will work with your machine. Do keep that in mind!
Buy Second-Hand, Or Refurbished
But buying refurbished tech or second-hand tech can also be applied to other kinds of tech devices, not just PCs. We have already covered the value of refurbished tech, but what exactly happens to refurb tech?
Well, put simply, when a bit of tech is refurbished, the IT techs replace the physical components that are faulty inside the device; be it a bit of wiring, a chip, and so on. So in reality, refurbished tech is almost as good as new depending on what has been refurbed.
In terms of second-hand tech, people will often sell off their unwanted tech on marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree, Craigslist, and even on local shop notice boards.
Keeping an eye out for things like Bluetooth speakers, or monitor screens, phones, tablets, consoles, and even accessories like extension cables, ethernet cables, and game bundles, in these kinds of places can be worth your while.
A lot of the time these second-hand items are unwanted gifts that remain unopened and brand new. So, it is absolutely worth checking these places from time to time.
Conclusion
When it comes to the best money saving techniques for tech, or any aspect of life, it is highly dependant on individual circumstances. There’s no point trying to save on computer parts if you don’t have a computer in the first place.
That being said, with these suggestions in mind, it may give you an idea of what you need to do for your own home to begin saving.
