Here are some great thing I learned about saving money on “gadgets” since I was 14 years old. While they may not be applicable in each scenario, most of the time you will find it very useful.
Buy only the frontrunners
Unless you are willing to dump a large amount of cash each year, buy the highly rated and top of the innovation flagship devices. While electronics may not last for a long time, buying an i5 or over an i3 can save you a lot of headaches. Samsung GS III for example is still one of the most powerful phones even when we are nearing the release if GS IV in mid 2013. I am not planning to buy the GS IV as soon as it comes out since GS III is doing a great job for me. I would not recommend buying iPhone 4 at this time over buying iPhone 5. Even from support side, newer models will have longer future support time span than the older models.
Better to wait for a sale on apps and software
Most companies have sales on national holidays. In addition, some will even go on sale for promotional events. These includes great premium apps. I once brought a $5.00 app for just $0.99 on Google Play store. Yes, I had to wait close to a month, but on a student salary the wait can be justified.
Don’t pay for something you don’t need
No, you do not need to pay for everything out there. Most software developers have free version of their app/software which may be the only thing you need. For example, the dictionary.com app comes in two flavors; free and paid. The only difference between the them (as of 2013, January) is the paid version have no ads. Why pay for something to get rid of ads when you are alreadying paying for huge data plan?
Kill few birds with one shot
Dynamic and multipurpose apps can save you a lot of money. You could pay for an animation creator and a photo editor separately, but in most home usage, you may be able to save some money from buying a single app with both functions built into it. Some developers such as Microsoft have special versions of their software packages with huge savings. The MS Office Home and Student version comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. It can be loaded to three separate computers and the cost is almost half of what you would pay if you buy the Pro version (or save a lot of money by not buying the single user key for two or more computers).
If it is too good to be true, do your research thoroughly
Not all claims that too good to be true are false claims. However, every time an app/software offer something questionable, do your research wisely. Probably the biggest racket I found is the “battery saving” apps for Android, iOS and BlackBerry. I am sure they will be one of the first so called, “we can give you sun and moon” type of apps to be appeared on Windows Phone shop as well. However, to be fair that there are good outrages apps that actually works; such as some of the mediation guidance apps.
Protect it
Buy a case or a good screen protector or both for your smartphone. Buy a power surge protector or an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) unit for your computer. Buy a cleaning kit for your electric shaver. Not tomorrow, but today as soon as possible! It worth every penny as opposed to paying for an additional warranty.