Electronics & Computers

Electronics and computers upgrade rapidly which means there's always a deal to be had on a slightly older model. Once a new model comes out, manufacturers and retailers tend to knock down the prices...

Electronics and computers upgrade rapidly which means there's always a deal to be had on a slightly older model. Once a new model comes out, manufacturers and retailers tend to knock down the prices of the older models. The deals are often great considering the value. Usually the slightly older model will perform nearly as well as the new version, but it'll be sold for a fraction of the cost. For example, the newest model computer might perform 10% better than an older model, but they may also cost as much as 50% more.

Now that many homes have multiple PCs - desktops, laptops, netbooks - it's getting very expensive to try to upgrade a whole household.  That's where family discounts come in. Anti-virus...

Now that many homes have multiple PCs - desktops, laptops, netbooks - it's getting very expensive to try to upgrade a whole household.  That's where family discounts come in.

Anti-virus software companies were among the first to offer deals where you can buy the software once and legally use it on more than one (commonly up to 3) computer.  That means the whole house could share the cost of one purchase.

More recently Microsoft has begun to offer a similar deal for their software, first with Windows 7 and now with Office 2010 Home and Student.  You need to look for the packages labeled "Family Pack" to get the deal.

The benefit of this approach is obvious: upgrade 3 computers for the price of about 1 1/2.  In the case of Windows 7, that meant paying just $150 for 3 computers instead of $120 apiece.  That's up to $210 in savings! In fact, since it costs only a little more than the price for just 1 computer, it's still cheap to pay for a Family Pack even if you just have two machines. 

Shoppers who have The LOZO know to always try to use coupons whenever they make a purchase. Some stores are quite stingy with the coupons they offer, so you're happy to get your hands on any of them....

Shoppers who have The LOZO know to always try to use coupons whenever they make a purchase. Some stores are quite stingy with the coupons they offer, so you're happy to get your hands on any of them. But some stores are known for frequently issuing coupons with various discounts and minimum spend thresholds, so you might have several available at your fingertips. So the question then becomes, "how do you maximize your coupons to save as much as possible?" LOZO has the answer!

Most stores have a policy that you can only use one coupon per transaction, so to get the best discount you'll have to split up your purchases. If a store is not busy they are usually happy to ring up the transactions separately at the register, one after another. In other cases you might need to take separate trips or go back in line. Once you figure out what the extra savings will be worth, you can decide whether to go through any extra hassle.

The first thing you need to do is assess the value of each coupon to figure out which is worth the most. That's easy to do when you are comparing coupons like $5 off $25 vs. $10 off $25, but harder when the coupons are in different "flavors".

LOZO recommends first adjusting everything to the equivalent "percentage discount" so you can compare apples to apples.

Then you start by trying to use up the best coupon first. There are a couple of cases when this approach might not be the best strategy for you, so we recommend double-checking before you checkout!

Click on this tip to read more details and see some real examples in action.

Many people know that it's a good idea to read reviews before buying, especially in the ever-changing world of electronics. They help you understand the pros & cons of a particular item and...

Many people know that it's a good idea to read reviews before buying, especially in the ever-changing world of electronics. They help you understand the pros & cons of a particular item and give you an overall sense of what's available. The problem is figuring out which reviews to trust.LOZO recommends these sites to help you make an informed choice about what you need and what fits your budget. At these sites, the products are reviewed by experts or informed consumers--not people paid to say something good about them. 

For a professional assessment, visit CNet, Consumer Search's electronics or computers sections,Consumer Reports, or Top Ten Reviews. AVSForum.com also has some vibrant message boards from expert hobbyists and industry veterans.

For reviews with a focus on "cheap" products, try Cheapism's electronics or computers sections. 

For a more personal perspective, look up a specific model on Amazon and read the client reviews.

You may also find consumer reviews on the manufacturer's site, but keep in mind that they're often approved by the manufacturer so you're likely to get a lot of good and great reviews, but very few critical ones. And, of course, if you have tech savvy friends or colleagues, hit them up for their opinion too (though we recommend you don't use a friend or colleague as your sole source of info since they may have different needs than you do).

A LOZO expert posted this tip.

These three tips will put you ahead of the virtual pack for your online shopping!

Tip #1: Fill your cart (or list) in advance! With doorbusters online you need to buy fast to get in before...

These three tips will put you ahead of the virtual pack for your online shopping!

Tip #1: Fill your cart (or list) in advance!

With doorbusters online you need to buy fast to get in before the inventory runs out. Save time by filling your online shopping cart in advance of the sale, and setting up an account with your address & payment info. If you can't add the item to your cart, trying creating a shopping list instead. Check back in once the sale goes live, and the prices should update automatically. Now you can checkout in the virtual express lane!

Filling your cart is also a great way to find sales you might not have even known about. Add any items you have your eye on, then see if the price changes in your favor!

Tip #2: Don't forget cash back & coupons!

In the mad rush to visit each online stores, you might leave some easy cash on the table. Before you visit the site, use one of these links to access your stores. You'll still get all of the same deals, plus a bonus cash back rebate automatically posted to your Ebates account after you purchase.

Here are quick cash back links to three popular stores: Walmart, Best Buy, Sears.
Find all cash back offers here.

And not to sound like a broken record, but ALWAYS USE A COUPON!

Find all the latest coupons here.

Tip #3: Sign up for alerts!

One great way to find out when your treasured item is online and ready for purchase is to setup an email alert (you can find a link on individual product pages of many online stores). Sign up for alerts for all of the doorbuster and other hot deals you're after and get notified when it's available. It's not a perfect system - sometimes the alerts can be delayed by crucial minutes - but a nice alternative if you'd rather not spend hours refreshing the pages by hand!

Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Shopping!

Holiday discounts have been around for weeks, and the terms “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have been more than a little overused this year. We expect this to continue with promotions like...

Holiday discounts have been around for weeks, and the terms “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have been more than a little overused this year. We expect this to continue with promotions like “the return of BF/CM” deals, right through the Christmas holiday.

All that said, you can still expect to find some new deals on the upcoming “real” Cyber Monday—the Monday following Thanksgiving—when online stores offer deals to e-shoppers who still have some things left on their list.

This is our complete guide to getting the best Cyber Monday deals, including classic tips that'll save you money year-round and some tips specifically for Cyber Monday.

Part two of our guide to Black Friday, covering everything you need to know to get the best deals with the least possible hassle. Whether you're planning to hit the stores or shop online from the...

Part two of our guide to Black Friday, covering everything you need to know to get the best deals with the least possible hassle. Whether you're planning to hit the stores or shop online from the comfort of your home, we've got the tips that'll help you save time and money.

Part one of our collection of Black Friday tips will give you all you need to know to prepare for the biggest shopping day of the year, including access to tons of pre-Black Friday deals that you can...

Part one of our collection of Black Friday tips will give you all you need to know to prepare for the biggest shopping day of the year, including access to tons of pre-Black Friday deals that you can start taking advantage of even weeks before the big day!

We'll give you the LOZO so you can get the best possible value with the least possible hassle.

PriceWatch's price tracking service for all types of RAM for PCs and Macs. They provide a memory advisor tool so you can figure out what type of RAM you need for your computer. They search many...

PriceWatch's price tracking service for all types of RAM for PCs and Macs. They provide a memory advisor tool so you can figure out what type of RAM you need for your computer. They search many different retailers and provide options, sorted by price, for where you can buy the cheapest RAM right now. Other price tracking services include Ramseeker and dealram, but neither seemed to track as many retailers or as many types of RAM.