photo by Andrew Magill via Flickr.com
A recent article in Yahoo! Finance estimated that the average household spends in excess of $3,000 a year on costs associated with connectivity—that’s cable, Internet, cell phone plans, etc.—not including the actual cost of the devices themselves. And while those prices have been following a downward trend across the past few decades, when the aforementioned monthly fees and the frequency of replacement are factored in, it becomes clear that we tend to spend more money on technology now than ever before.
It’s not unlikely that you’ve owned more than 3, or even 5, cell phones in your life, have multiple televisions in your home, and have gone through a series of upgrades from clunky computers to more streamlined laptops. New features and enhanced functionality often make these new device purchases feel unavoidable, and it’s understandable why you wouldn’t want to fall behind the times.
So while perpetually spending money on new technology may be a necessary evil of sorts, there are a few ways to offset the cost.
1. Sell your old device before you buy a new one.
There’s no reason to create clutter by keeping outdated and unused electronics lying around—especially when you could be collecting money for them instead. At CJ Environmental, we specialize in recycling electronic devices and refining precious metals. Your old computer hard drives and cell phones will be recycled for reuse in future devices, and you can use the check you receive as payment for your upgrade.
2. When you can, buy used or refurbished.
Products sold as refurbished are those that have been previously returned for any reason—from those whose boxes were damaged during shipping to those that were used in sales display demonstrations. These devices are all tested and repaired if necessary before being resold to the consumer at a discount.
3. Look for bundle deals.
Whether you use the same service provider for your Internet and cable TV subscriptions or choose to buy the laptop that comes with a free printer, many companies offer discounts for those customers who are taking advantage of more than one of their services.
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