Saving Money on the BIG Purchases – Think Outside the Box
This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy for details.
I have found that the best way to save money on the big items (appliances, decks, vacuums, car parts, beds/furniture, etc.) is to think outside of the box. It really takes a bit of creative thinking to find some of the best deals on these types of purchases when you are trying to pinch pennies. For example, did you know that Best Buy sells cheap refurbished Dyson vacuums? “Cheap” compared to a regular price – you can snatch one for around $200 which is a GREAT price! Look at stores you wouldn’t normally check at too. AND check online. I’m pretty sure my Best Buy store does not have a vacuum corner – but online they have a great selection. We absolutely LOVE the Dyson I invested in a few years ago with my Christmas monies I had saved. That is the one thing now that I am sold on!
We are looking for a mattress since ours is getting older but they are not cheap! We noticed last night that mattresses are many times cheaper at wholesale clubs such as BJ’s, Sam’s, and Costco – even WITH the membership price included. You can get a queen sized brand new Sealy mattress for about $350ish. A mattress is just one of those things that you don’t buy used!
Looking for a printer? Many stores have printer trade in deals where you can get an additional $50+ off if you turn in an old printer. This may sound funny but we keep an old broken one out in the garage just for this situation! It saved us over $100 when we had to replace our last set! Many retailers also sell store models of just about everything that they might sell you at a cheaper price.
If you need to purchase big items that you can’t really find on sale I would buy discounted gift cards at Plastic Jungle. For example, in the next year our wooden pool deck will be unsafe as it already has spots in the platform that has rotted through. Well I have never really seen a great deal on buying lumber, but we can buy a discounted gift card at Plastic Jungle to help save a little bit of money on the cost. Make sure to sign up for retailer emails as well as sometimes they will send you money saving coupons.
Looking for used? Check Craigslist, ebay, thrift stores, and yard sales!
I love using Shop-at-Home, a cash back site. It can save you a lot of money, especially this time of year.
Also using Swagbucks as a search engine to use points to purchase Amazon gift cards, or other store gift cards.