5 Helpful Tips for Holiday Tech Shopping #StaplesHoliday

Remember the days when every household just had one TV, no computer and no cell phone.  Oh the peace and quiet that ensued.  Communication was simply through a landline phone - if noone answered then you just wait and call back.  Now if someone doesn't answer their cell phone we automatically think the worst.  How could we ever survive without cell phones, laptops and HDTV?  We are innundated with technology that make our lives that much easier but maybe somewhat complicated because of all the options available out there.

Here's 5 Tips for Holiday Tech Shopping

1. Figure out your technology needs.  What do you want to do? when and where will you use it.  Is it compatible with your current technology.  There's nothing worse that buying a product and finding it doesn't work because you need a newer version.  We recently tried to install a Sling Box and after 5 hours of set up and a frustrated husband we find that my husbands iphone does not have the correct version to support the sling box and this would entail purchasing the iphone 4.0 - grrrrr.  Do your homework first. 

2. Make use of the store associate - they are there for your needs - make them work for their money.  If they do not meet your needs head to a different store and ask the same questions until you are fully satisfied with your answers.  Better to be equipped with knowledge than to buy blind and find you cannot return said tech product after opening.

3.  Read the reviews - google the product and read customer reviews.  A great resource is to head to Amazon.com as this is a valuable resource for honest opinions.  Of course take some of the comments with a pinch of salt - as my disclosures usually state "others opinions may differ". 

4. Know your price - figure out how much you are willing to spend and never pay full price.  Start comparing the store ads so you can find the lowest price.  Also google the product and find the lowest price online - sometimes you can stack the lowest deal with a cashback site like ebates to further reduce your final price.

5.  Consider purchasing extended warranty for big ticket items.  There's nothing worse than losing that iphone and no way to get a replacement without shelling a huge fee over to AT&T.  A small fee for the warranty can make a big difference when your washer decides to break just days after the manufacturer warranty expires - hasn't this happened to us all once?

Happy Holiday Shopping!

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.

About Staples
Staples, the world's largest office products company, is committed to making it easy for customers to buy a wide range of office products and services. Our broad selection of office supplies, electronics, technology and office furniture as well as business services, including computer repair and copying and printing, helps our customers run their offices efficiently. With 2009 sales of $24 billion and 91,000 associates worldwide, Staples operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia serving businesses of all sizes and consumers. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today ranks second worldwide in e-commerce sales. The company is headquartered outside Boston.