I’m writing about this topic today as a personal matter because I recently broke my phone AND my laptop stopped working. I couldn’t believe it. It was a double-whammy to have both of these items break down this year – both in terms of lost data AND the cost of replacing them. It had me stressing about how can I replace my laptop on a budget?
And when I broke my phone, I actually couldn’t believe it. One minute you’re skipping along perfectly happily (yes, I was literally skipping down my path) and the next minute your phone has slipped out of your pocket and has smashed on the concrete.
There was no coming back from it, it couldn’t be repaired with a simple new screen. I had to replace it and ouch I didn’t realise just how expensive phones were these days. Plus, I would need a very sturdy phone case to prevent this happening again in the future. Where can I buy a refurbished phone? I had to find out quickly!
Prior to this, my laptop started making a buzzing sound. And then, one day, it just wouldn’t turn on at all. I bought a new charger in case that was the problem but still, it didn’t work. It had expired after a long ten or so years of service.
Luckily, it was still possible to get the files and documents off the hard drive but I was without a laptop for the first time in more than a decade. Ooh, that’s difficult when you do all your work online.
Two costly tech items to replace and not much of a budget to spend on them. Plus, I don’t really like the idea of buying big-ticket items brand new because of the depreciation that instantly occurs. It’s not just cars that depreciate when you drive them off the forecourt – as soon as you unwrap a smartphone, PC or even something like a sofa, they lose value.
So, ideally, I’d rather not buy them at full price to start with. And that’s where refurbished tech comes in. The first place to check if you need to replace a laptop, monitor, PC or tablet is The Renewed Store. I could not believe the low prices of the tech on their website, even though the models are all from leading brands and much better spec than most in-store options with electrical retailers.
Not only is buying refurbished tech a thrifty option, but it’s also more sustainable. After all, the refurbishment company are basically upcycling existing pieces and giving them a new lease of life, saving them from being dumped. That’s what I do with furniture, so why not apply this same environmentally-friendly reduce, reuse, recycle ethos to technology too?
The high-quality branded pieces sold by refurbished tech companies are all fully repaired by experts and come with 12-month warranties that reassure you of the reliability and high performance of the item. But they all cost significantly less than buying an off-the-shelf brand-new piece of tech, which is a BIG WIN in my books.
I recently bought a refurbished TV when my old one stopped working and got a whopping £400 off the retail price. I even went to check out the model in an electrical store selling the TV brand-new and then I ordered it online from the refurbished retailer. And do you know what the ‘refurbishment’ was? It was just that the TV had been delivered to a customer, the box opened and then the customer changed their mind and returned it.
To make a long story short, my laptop is being refurbished and I’ve now got my new phone in a sturdy case – you won’t believe how careful I’m being while handling it. I want this one to last, so I won’t be stashing it in the pocket of a hoody again!
Let me know if you’ve had any money-saving successes with refurbished tech, I’d love to hear your hacks for getting a great deal on your laptop, phone, smart TV or PC in the comments below.
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
