Let’s face it: expensive, high-end smart TVs tend to have the best features. But I’m a frugal spender at heart and always on the lookout for a good deal, and have found a few ways to pick up that ultra-lux smart TV screen without breaking my bank balance.
5Have You Tried Garage Sales?
Where I live, there are garage sales every year, and it always seems like I have junk to sell off. So do other people. I highly recommend taking advantage of these, but if there aren’t local garage sales, there aregarage sale appsyou can try.
If you were to find a smart TV, get the model number and check the TV’s age. This is to avoid buying a smart TV that is so old it no longer receives updates. Maybe in its prime, it could’ve streamed Netflix, but eventually, the hardware isn’t enough, and the security updates stop rolling in.
Your Smart TV Might Not Get Updates Anymore—Here’s How to Keep Using It Safely
Don’t risk turning your outdated smart TV into a security breach.
4Check Your Area’s Local Facebook Groups
Perhaps garage sales don’t happen for you on a local level—I have the privilege of living in a part of Pennsylvania with half a dozen or so small towns. That’s where Facebook comes in handy, giving you a wider scope of communities near you. My entire county has a Facebook page dedicated to yard sales.
How I Reduce What Facebook Knows About Me (Without Deleting My Account)
There’s no reason for Facebook to know every itty bitty detail about me.
I suggest searching a nearby town or county, followed by “yard sale” or “garage sale,” and specify Facebook. You’re bound to find one. It’s essentially Facebook Marketplace, but focused on specific areas. You may even be able to get a cheaper smart TV if you’re willing to pick it up yourself (in a nearby public area, please).
3When in Doubt, Go Thrifting
When garage sales and yard sales come up short, thrifting has been my saving grace on a number of times. Your child’s drink topples over, drenching the monitor in juice, so you have to replace it quickly. Need a second monitor because your previous one just gave up? Thrifting is the way to go. I don’t just use it for technology, but toexpand the media on my Plex server, too.
The 5 Best Online Thrift Stores for Sustainable Shopping
It’s important to bear sustainability in mind when you’re shopping online. Here are the best online thrift stores to help you do just that.
Just like finding a cheap replacement monitor, you can thrift some mighty cheap smart TVs, too. Getting it from a store also means you can usually trust it’ll work. Be sure to check the model of the smart TV before you buy, just like you would check if you were at a garage sale. Stick to smart TVs no more than two or three years old. Any older and you risk losing smart TV functionality a lot sooner.
2Use These Sites to Compare Prices
If you want to buy a cheap smart TV that’s brand new, there are sites that help compare costs across multiple retailers rather than checking the inventory for each one.
I tend to use Versus and Google Shopping together—one to find a good price and the other to compare smart TVs. Price is good as a shorthand tool.
The 5 Best Second-Hand Fashion Apps for Thrifting at Home
Try these apps if you’re looking to expand your shopping habits into the realm of pre-owned and handmade fashion.
1Wait For Cyber Monday or Black Friday
How often do you think you should replace your smart TV? Not every year, that’s for sure. All smart TVs eventually become dumb TVs, anyway. If you’re looking to replace it, why not wait until Cyber Monday or Black Friday?
Cyber Monday is the perfect opportunity to get a great deal on a smart TV with all the bells and whistles of a top-end model. Cyber Monday is always in very late November or early December. If you do participate in Black Friday, be sure you knowhow to spot Black Friday scams.
With these tips, I have managed to snag a couple of cheap smart TVs I’m still getting use out of. Sure, it’ll be a dumb TV in a couple of years, but there areways to make a dumb TV smartagain.
