Get the Cheapest Deals on Laptops from Your Local Retailer with These 6 Simple Tips

Lets face it, laptops are expensive and worst yet the prices seem to be climbing. Its no wonder why people like you and I are trying to find the best deals, who wants to pay that much? Lately, there are so many new upgrades and features being added that everytime a new laptop hits the market my wallet screams, but guess what? That doesn't mean we can't still find the cheapest deal in town, let me show you how.

You don't have to be a shopping fanatic to find the best deals on laptops, or any product for that matter, you just have to know what you are looking for and when to look. Bargain hunting is not only easier than most people think, its also fun so take a look below and I will show you the best times to visit your local retailer in search of a great deal on that shiny new laptop.

After you take my advice in this article and find a cheap laptop, you may consider dressing it up with a new laptop skin.

Watch for new models being released

Its not a big secret that computer manufacturer's are pumping their new products out as fast as they hit the shelves. What you may not know is why they do it. Computers are big business and they lie smack dab in the middle of one of the worlds most rapidly growing fields, technology. Due to this, these computer manufacturer's have to try and keep up to date with the ever changing technology, which keeps them going constantly. Their other problem is the stiff rivalry among competitors, these competitors have one main goal and that is to get their product to the market first. After all, if company "A" releases a new laptop before company "B", which one are you more likely to buy?

Here is the great thing about all of this, the constant new releases and strong competition can allow consumers to save big. What you really have to realize is that all of these new laptop models are usually so close to the last model you can't even tell the difference between the new and old and the technology or features bear no significant difference. So any time you find yourself interested in a new laptop, consider waiting until the manufacturer releases a new model, you might just find a nice drop in the price tag.

Keep an eye out for stores closing in your area

With every passing year it seems to get harder and harder for the business man to stay a float. You can always find stores going out of business, and sometimes you may even find a major retailer closing their doors, which is usually attributed to a poor location. The nice thing about this is that a going out of business sign stands for one thing, big sales. When these businesses start slashing prices they tend to sell everything from merchandise to the store shelving, everything has to go.

One thing to keep in mind when you notice a going out of business sale, is don't spend your money to quick. Usually, closing sales start out with a very small discount and gradually get bigger as they go along. Now if you wait to long to start shopping you may find everything gone, or at least all of the big ticket items like laptops. The best time to swoop in and claim your stake is usually right around the 30% to 50% off mark, there the prices are low enough to save a bundle and the products are likely to be in stock.

Holiday sales bring big savings

You might consider waiting to buy your new laptop until the cheerful holiday season. As many of you already know, the holidays, especially Christmas is the busiest time for the majority of retailers. All of this business allows them to run great sales and still make a bundle of money. If you take the time to talk to store employees or check your local newspaper you may catch wind of an up coming "madness" sale that starts at some odd hour like midnight, this is a great time to head to the store and get some great deals.

By visiting these large sales you can often find brand new laptop's at as much as 30% off or more, if you go to the right place.

Check the shelves for open box specials

While a few retailers advertise "open box" specials on laptops and other merchandise, many of them don't. If you are one of those people that think "open box" is a tell tale sign that something is wrong or the product has been damaged, get that out of your head right now. More often than not, "open box" means exactly that, the box has been opened, maybe it was returned or the box was damaged, but the product is usually just fine. The retailer can't sell an item in a damaged box as being new for fear of damaging their reputation, take advantage of that and save some money, besides when you get home your probably going to throw the box away any how.

Over the years I have purchased several laptops in open boxes and saved a bundle. Usually the laptop even carries the standard warranty and return policy, but make sure you ask the store before purchasing. Although you can pick up open box specials year round, you tend to find more of them around Christmas time due to the increase in returns. Oh and in case you were wondering, many of the cheap laptops at online auction sites like eBay.com, are actually open box merchandise, the seller just neglected to disclose it.

Find great bargains in your local newspaper

I don't know about you, but my Sunday newspaper is probably three inches thick because of all the store ads and coupons. If you are in the market to purchase a new laptop at a cheaper price dig through the paper and see what sales are going on in your area. You may be happy with what you find.

Visit the stores website for refurbished laptops

In most cases you won't find refurbished merchandise on the shelves of your local retailer, but instead you may have to go to their website to find these low priced gems. This is mainly due to the fact that the merchandise, after being returned, is shipped to the companies main facility to be refurbished and then distributed on the company website from there.

The greatest method for saving big on refurbished merchandise is to first, visit the retailers website to see if they do in fact carry any refurbished laptops or more specifically the one you are interested in, and then pay a visit to the store itself tell them you are interested in the refurbished laptop you found on their website and would like to have them ship it to the store for you to pick up. Not only will you be getting a great deal on a laptop, you will also cut out the shipping fees by having it sent directly to the store.

6 tips for finding the cheapest deals, in plain english

Below I have laid out the 6 great tips from above so that you can use them to find the cheapest deal on a laptop you want.

1. Watch for new models being released to pick up the older laptop's for a big savings.

2. Keep your eyes open for electronics and computer stores that are closing in your area. Try to buy your laptop when it is 30% - 50% below normal retail prices.

3. Visit the big "madness" sales around the holidays for great bargains.

4. Check your local retailers for "open box" specials on laptop's, to save a bundle.

5. Pick up a copy of the Sunday newspaper to find current sales on laptop's and other merchandise.

6. Check with local retailers to see if they carry any refurbished laptop's that you might pick up for cheap.