Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Five tips for holiday tech shopping

It's Christmas time and I love Christmas shopping. I like to buy things on people's lists, but mostly I like to think of things that my family doesn't put on their list but I know that they will love. Unfortunately, I am not a tech-person. My husband is. So, when I try to buy him a Christmas present it is almost always a technology item and I am always left wondering "what????" when I read his Christmas list. If any of you are like me, I thought you might want to hear some of the tips I have come up with to help me muddle my way through...

-I go to the stores. Whenever I'm in a store with technology items I stop by the section that carries the item I am looking for and just pick the brains of the employees. I get very different answers from each employee, but after doing it a few times you start to see some recurring comments/thoughts on products. * I highly recommend doing this on off-peak times so you have time to really talk to salesmen who aren't trying to help other customers!

-I research the item online. I google it and try to find consumer reviews on the specific item I am looking for to see what the pros and cons are. Consumer Reports is one of my favorite places to look.

-I then use http://www.froogle.com/ to see what the prices are at different retailers. If you've never used them before, it is a great site to use to just get a baseline price. They will even tell you shipping costs at each store so it is easy to compare.

-Of course, most importantly is I ask my circle of friends to see if any of them has purchased the item and get their opinions. And of course, if they have it then I ask to try it out!!!

-Lastly, I gather all of the information and make a decision on what to  buy. I  watch the item online during peak sale times (such as Black Friday) and purchase it when it falls below the lowest regular price that I can always buy it for!

I hope this information is helpful for some of you struggling to buy a technology item for a loved one this Holiday season. To recap: Research, ask friends, Google and Then be patient til you get the price (if time allows!!)

How do you do your holiday tech shopping?

If you are looking for a technology item this year for Christmas, make sure you check out Staples. They are one of my top stores to shop.  I find their prices to be competitive and their salespeople to be knowledgeable!!

Disclosure:
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

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