Tag Archives: saving money

How to Save Money Using eBay

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eBay to some people seems like a scary place of fraud, possible fake products and a place requiring a credit card. I’m not going to say there isn’t any fraud because there is, there are fake products and yes you do need a credit card, but there are ways to make sure you can avoid this problems. It all depends on what you are buying, how much you know about the product and understanding how eBay works. This post will help you learn how to save money using eBay which will lead to some great savings especially for those on a student budget.

eBay is where I find certain products I need (and sometimes just want) for a lot cheaper than in the stores. If it isn’t a deal on eBay you might as well just buy it in a store and save yourself the hassle of shipping and waiting for the product to arrive.

What is eBay?
At it’s core eBay can be defined as;

  1. eBay sellers pay a small flat fee plus a 1.5% percentage fee to eBay in order to market their wares;
  2. eBay buyers visit and use the marketplace without any surcharges;
  3. Any parties that abuse the system or each other will be disciplined or ejected


eBay is like a flea market but a bit different;

    1. The eBay marketplace is international, and crosses language and national boundaries;
    • The massive choice of goods is awe-inspiring;
    • Sales can either be auction format (competitions between bidders), or traditional fixed price format. The sellers choose whichever format they prefer
    • The buyers and sellers will likely never meet in person
    • The buyers do not get to see the product in person before purchase, but are given various post-purchase guarantees to ensure satisfaction;
    • Very sophisticated computer measures are implemented to minimize electronic dishonesty on all sides
    • Fulltime staff are employed to enforce safety and fairness across the system
    • An honesty incentive model called ‘positive feedback’ is used to motivate buyers and sellers to trade with integrity
    • Professional third parties payment services, like Paypal, Bidpay, and Escrow.com, are brought in to ensure safe and trusted payment between eBayers
    • eBay is easier to use than a flea market.

In order to purchase goods on eBay you need to register, supply a credit card number, and I suggest creating an account on PayPal to make purchases online. You can register a credit card and/or a debit card.

Check out this excellent guide on how to use eBay.

Here are some of my tips on how to be safe, make smart purchases and get the best deals you can.

  • Always check the sellers feedback score. I usually go with 100% or nothing. Even if a sellers feedback score says 99%, they are often high volume sellers and that can mean that they still have a lot of negative reviews. Read through their comment’s section and check for patterns, are people constantly complaining about shipping? or items not as described? If those show up, it’s a red flag. Don’t buy from that seller.
  • Check the location that the product is coming from (this may help determine shipping times/costs and/or product quality). Even if the currency is listed as US dollars or Australian dollars it may not be coming from that country. I have come across a lot of listings that say Australian dollars when in fact that product is coming from Hong Kong.
  • ALWAYS check how much the product will cost to ship, if it doesnt say in the listing make sure to message the seller to get a quote. Don’t ever bid if you don’t know the shipping cost, it could more than double what you spend depending on the product you’re buying.
  • Go with Canadian sellers whenever you can, shipping is usually cheaper and quicker. Also if there is an option to pick up an item do it, sometimes they charge you, but you can pick up your item on your own terms and not have to rely on good old Canada Post.
Best Products to Buy on eBay
  • Razor Blades- Don’t enjoy paying $20 for 4 blades at Shoppers Drug Mart? You can usually get double that for the same price or more on eBay. Check, but most often if you are purchasing from a Canadian seller shipping is free as well.
  • Clothing-Certain brands of clothing are everywhere on eBay and often cheaper. You can find anything from Lulu Lemon to Abercrombie and more.
  • Shoes- Be careful with shoes, some can be fakes. Determine the price you want to spend, try on the shoes in store some where and figure out if it makes sense to purchase them online.
Tips to Buying Clothes and Shoes
  • Try on products you are interested in, in store and determine your correct sizing. You dont want to have to return things to sellers on eBay unless you really have to.
  • Buying multiple products from the same seller can save you a ton on shipping
  • If you aren’t against buying used clothing/shoes, you can find great deals on used designer clothing and shoes on eBay.

Also you may be able to get a deal by using one of these websites. Type in the product you are searching for and both sites will generate typo’s for these products. These products wont come up in a normal eBay search because of their incorrect spelling, which can help you snag a great deal

  • http://www.typohound.com/
  • http://www.fatfingers.com/default.aspx

eBay is a great place to find deals, if you do your research and are careful when making purchases. Make sure to check out sellers feedback scores, the location the product is coming from and the shipping costs. Also be aware of the sellers return policies.

Student Laptop Buying Guide

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For students it’s simply a given now that we have laptops, and unfortunately it’s very rare for a single laptop purchased before University to last you for the entirety of your degree. So because of this we need to budget, save up and at some point purchase a new laptop to get us through classes, essay’s and various other school related projects.

I had the unfortunate problem of purchasing an HP laptop before I started university, it lasted quite a bit of time but it sounded like an airplane, was as hot as furnace, had the battery capacity of a AAA battery and had a screen flickering problem by about a year and a half. Now I’m not saying all HP laptops are bad, I just wont be purchasing one any time soon. During boxing week sales this year I purchased a Lenovo laptop which I haven’t had any problems with yet…knock on wood. Before I made that purchase, I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching what laptop to buy, which brand, PC or Mac, battery life vs screen size. The list goes on. Now, since I spent countless hours researching and researching, and being extremely OCD about it, I can pass on some major points to cut down on research time and keep it simple.

Once again, there are people that are gamers, spend countless hours on their computers and require insanely powerful ones to do so…I believe that a majority of you won’t be using your laptop for that purpose..and this post is for you.

1. Budget-Determine how much you are willing to spend, this is the most important part, this is how you determine how intense and powerful your laptop is and whether or not you can actually afford an Apple computer (is anyone else aware of the fact that they are just taking over?!)

2. Ask yourself a few preliminary questions.

    • Check out this laptop quiz from Inc. Some of the specs are old in terms of the laptop recommendations. Here’s an updated score sheet.
    • If you answered mostly As, you are most likely a gamer or a graphic designer, and you’ll need a souped-up machine with optimal power, portability, and versatility. An Intel i7 processor and 10-12GB of RAM will maintain your machine’s speed and battery life as you run multiple applications. Opt for a super-sized hard drive (750GB-1TB, 7200rpm) to accommodate your multi-megabyte files. Gamers need advanced 3D graphic chips, along with 2GB of dedicated graphics memory. Geek-up your notebook with more built-in hardware, like a rewritable DVD drive and Bluetooth technology. Wireless broadband access, either built-in or through an access device, will keep you from being tethered to Wi-Fi hotspots. Stick with a 15.4-17 inch screen or wider, allowing you to view spreadsheets and movies with ease. And upgrade to at least six USB ports so you can connect more of the latest peripherals. Example Alienware M17x
    • If you answered mostly Bs (This is probably where most students are), you like to mix business with pleasure. You aren’t an obsessive tech geek, but you want the flexibility to watch Family Guy while checking your email and updating your Facebook profile. For work, you’ll be doing the basics: email, word processing, spread sheets, and Power Point. But, for fun, you’ll also be downloading music and storing digital photos. Permanent data, such as pictures, mp3s, and documents, are stored on the hard drive. The more you plan to download, the more hard drive space you need. You need at least an 500 GB hard drive, and one with at least 7200 rpm will perform better. The computer stores the programs it is running right now in its RAM, or random access memory. In order to run multiple programs at once, quickly—say, a DVD, a music player, and the ESPN.com homepage—you need something with at least 1GB of RAM. A built-in wireless antenna and an Ethernet port will connect you to high-speed internet. Be sure to get something with plenty of USB ports for your speakers, flash drive, and a mouse. For entertainment, get a CD/DVD drive and at least a 14.1 inch screen or less. ExamplesMacBook  Various Dell options 
    • Since you selected mostly Cs, you’re all work and no play. Your main concerns should be portability, security, and durability.It’s much easier to travel with a smaller, lighter machine, and a 13.3-inch widescreen will fit nicely in your carry-on and on a tray table. A shock-mounted or solid-state hard drive (SSD) will give your information some extra protection, and a spill-resistant keyboard is also important. And you’ll definitely want a fingerprint reader – a security scanner built into the palm rest that allows you to enter multiple passwords with the swipe of a finger. If business takes you on the road, make sure you can use an extended battery and that your notebook is equipped with 802.11 agn Wi-Fi. Frequent travelers should look for EVDO or HSDPA options—mobile broadband connections that don’t require internet hotspots. Bluetooth technology will let you sync the laptop with your smartphone and also let you use a wireless mouse, but you’ll also want some USB slots to accommodate an external optical drive or hard drive, as well. Look for 1-2GB of RAM and a 100 GB hard drive, but keep in mind that more memory will mean more weight. Examples Dell Business Options Lenovo Thinkpads
3. What’s are the most important features for you?
  • Does it need to be pretty/nice looking? (this may knock business laptops out of the running)
  • Do you need long battery life? (Apple kills this)
  • Large screen size or small screen size? (ultrabook or netbook or laptop?)
Most often Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Air covers most on this list, if not all. It just depends on the money you want to spend.
4. Check out these sites for various laptops that you can choose from.
5. How to get a deal
  • ebay.ca (A great spot to find cheap Dell laptops, you can also get the warranty switched over to you through the seller, do your research with this, contact the seller etc.)
  • redflagdeals.ca (Great site to find information on various deals through Dell, Lenovo etc.)
  • canadacomputers.com/ &  newegg.ca/ (both often have doorcrashers and various deals)
  • Want an Apple Laptop but for cheaper? Buy refurbished you can purchase Apple care for these as well
6. Other deals to watch out for
  • Apple often has a student deal available towards the beginning of the school year. It varies, some years it may be free Office, it used to be a Free iPod touch. Bestbuy and Futureshop often try to replicate these deals, so speak to them and see what they can do for you in store.
  • Back to school deals often start in August (I think its cruel personally, we still have a month before school starts! But unfortunately I don’t influence these things)
  • Around Black Friday every year (US thanksgiving) Apple, Dell and other large manufacturers have sales on as well as on Boxing Day.
5. Found a laptop your interested in? 
  • Check out CNet’s reviews for most laptops. Type in the model number and there’s likely to be a review.
  • Often you can go on YouTube and search the model you are considering as well. There are a ton of video reviews to view.
When you’re about to buy..
1. If you collect Airmiles or Aeroplan miles, go through either of the following to collect miles on your laptop purchase. Buying with a credit card that allows you to collect these miles will let you double dip as well!
  • Airmilesshops.ca
  • Aeroplan estore 
2. Consider shipping and taxes. These extra’s often add up big time when your buying a laptop since it’s an expensive purchase
3. Warranty or no warranty?
  • Most computer manufacturers will give you a 1 year basic coverage as a warranty that comes with purchase. Now from my experience, laptops, cell phones and other electronics tend to break just after the manufacturers warranty expires (I think they plan it that way…) so adding on an extra year of coverage for $50 to $100 may be worth it for you. Apple’s Applecare also seems to be a pretty comprehensive option. Definitely consider it, because we all know how well we take care of electronics. Dell also offers Accidental Damage Coverage-yes this covers spilling beer on your laptop.
Some Extra Tips
  • Laptop’s sold at places like BestBuy and Futureshop are meant to last for 2 years max! It might be best to get a business laptop if you tend to beat your computer up, need longer battery life and durability.
  • Check out the post Three Mistakes I Made with my Last Laptop
  • CNet’s Best 5 Laptops  (some of these may not be available in Canada)
  • Best & Worst Laptop Brands 2012

Hopefully this post hasn’t completely overwhelmed you but instead provided a great guide for when you’re purchasing your next laptop. Good luck!

Image Source’s: Dell Laptops Macbook