Frugal Tech | What to Buy, When to Buy New & Tips for Saving on Electronics

bringing you a long awaited episode. But we specifically waited to bring this listener request to the week before Black Friday, but it was scheduled many many moons ago, many many moons were Yeah, we've been thinking about this topic for a while. Yeah, and uh, what we are about to say about Black Friday has probably has been going on for the entire month of November. But we're not going to just talk about Black Friday, but it will be a big part of this episode. So that's that's what's

here to come. But first, our sponsors debt Free Christmas Planner. If you have the best intentions about controlling your holiday spending, but every year it feels like you forget something, Jen has made a free Christmas planner to help you record every cost and stay on budget this holiday season. This planner will help you keep track of your spending on family traditions, recipes, dinners and parties, gifts and so much

more to make sure that you don't miss anything. So then you use the planning chart to make sure you're on track to saving the right amount next year. If this sounds like something you need, head to Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash holiday to get your free planner m thank you, Jill uh In. Today's episode is also brought to you by Craigslist Posts. Before Facebook Marketplace in eBay,

there was Craigslist. Remember the free section miss connections, buying and selling in sketchy places just to make or save a quick buck. Craigslist Posts wants you to remember where you came from. And yeah, you may be able to rate buyers and sellers and stock their Facebook profiles before you meet them now, but where's the adventure in that Craigslist Posts. They're still around if you're ever desperate, Well,

said Craigslist post, did like those miss connections. I would go there every once in a while, didn't Craigslist, Man, It's still around, It still exists, and it has gotten even more sketchy. Be careful, careful. It makes me feel bad about that episode we did on Popcorn Finance where we teach Chris how to use ciglist, and that was back when it was still acceptable, so long ago. Oh man. UM.

But anyways, today we are talking about frugal tech. UM. The last Black Friday episode we did UM was episode thirty and we talked about does Black Friday actually save you money? Uh, So, definitely listen to that one if that's something you're you're kind of waffling on. UM. But today we are talking about how to save money on not just new electronics but also used ones too, because personally, that's how we save a lot of money on high

priced tech electronics. But you don't want to do that for everything, and there's definitely rules to follow, so we're looking at both Jail. What's your take. Yeah, I think it's good to zero in on some of these tech pieces because they are usually our most costly things when we're talking computers and TVs and head owns and microphones and cameras and obviously what goes on and on. But it's important to consider with these high ticket items, what are the ways that we can save the most money

and still get a quality product. So, and usually this is the time of year that we're considering buying our tech things, so we're happy to give you all the insider info on this. Yes, I am personally looking for a new webcam because I'm going to be doing a lot more UM Live presentations and with the group coaching that I'm launching. After the first year, I I cannot I can no longer rely on the Mac video I'm noticing,

so we're not compared to other people's webcams. So that's kind of where So that's what I'm waiting on UM and looking for. So I found a lot of this specifically relevant to me, So we'll we'll look at the new stuff UM at first. And this article is from Take It Personally person Personally, it's like personnel and then Nelly dot com and it is seven great ways to

save money on electronics. So I love how they open up this article with giving us this advice that the best deals come when you have time to do your homework. And I cannot highlight this enough that if we give ourselves time to do our research and to know what the best product is and then to be able to look for the best deals, that's when we're going to save money, not when we're just in a store shopping the aisles and saying, oh, yeah, I do kind of

want one of those. Throw it in the basket. You're not usually going to get the highest quality product or the best rate, so that's it's not even a win win even if the place is advertising a deal on these higher cost items. We really want to give ourselves

time to do our research, both for quality and for savings. Yeah, definitely refer back to our holiday impulse spending episode to know that deals and coupons and discounts are one are a marketing strategy because impulse purchases are made on sale and clearance items. So do your due diligence, do your research, and do not impulse by on a deal is not a deal. Yeah, impulse by on a three dollar shirt, but don't impulse by on like a large screen TV.

So there are seven tips on here, so we're just gonna go through them, and the first one talks about just the time of year, and so they do say that right now is the best time of year to buy some of your larger electronics. They mainly are referencing like TVs and computers and that kind of thing, but particularly as it relates to TVs that the end of the year, certainly Black Friday through December, and then usually before the Super Bowl, which happens in January, typically yours crossed.

Sometimes it happens in February. Right, I'm not going to try and pretend like I know sports. Uh. That's that's a good time also to be looking for deals because a lot of people are purchasing, you know, they're better TVs. And then and I know we're not talking about used right now, but that's also for us used purchasers, a good time to be scouting out not Craigslist, but maybe Facebook marketplace for the people who are getting rid of

their old stuff. They have made that impro purchase. And then I'm like, we don't have any money up to get rid of this. Your their trash is your treasure. A men? A men. So the second one on the list is buy older versions. And so I specifically like to do this with iPhones. So I want to buy a new iPhone. That's I mean what, I use my phone for a lot in my business, and so I want a new one, but I don't buy the newest phone.

I'll buy the I'll buy the second version, like the older version once the around the time the new one is coming out, So that is when all of the deep discounts go on the second newest model. Yeah yeah, you don't need the latest and greatest. Usually a couple older versions will do just fine. I learned that lesson with college textbooks. You don't need the newest edition, so you don't lie it to tell electronics too. The third on this list, we already mentioned it. You already know it.

This is just serving as a reminder shop around. This doesn't just apply to your high ticket items. It applies to renovations on your home services products. You name it. Shop around. So and again, we do well if we give ourselves time to research. And I like what this article mentions about preparing an advance being proactive. If you know that maybe your computer has a year of good quality life left in it, start researching now what you're

gonna want next. Pay attention to what your current needs are in the ways in which you want to grow into a new device, and start researching. Uh, similar to start budgeting. Start growing your knowledge about that thing, about what you're gonna need, so that when the time comes, not only do you have money saved up for it, but you also have a good idea of the type of product that you need and who has the best deals.

Of course, if you did not have the luxury of being proactive and preparing an advance, it's still good to be as patient as possible and to do as much research as possible. To look at different both brick and mortar stores on what is being sold and at what price point, as well as online. Pay attention to reviews that people have left about the thing, all of the

the specs on it. And of course this is not in the article, but if you're not an expert on that device that you need ask ask your friends or family who are. If you're in the market for some new technology but you don't know a ton about it, reach out to somebody who does so that you can make sure you're getting the best product for the best price. Absolutely, and I want to add that that might include shopping

around at paunt shops. So I got my MacBook Air that I am using um and have used for several years now at a pawn shop. UM. And if you check back episode we did all about pawn shops, and it's definitely worth looking at ones that carry UH electronics regularly, so you want to make sure that they have, Um, they have a lot of electronics, so the people that buy those things are familiar with electronics. You don't want to go to one that's like mostly jewelry or mostly

like guns or whatever. Um. But yeah, so just be smart about the pawn shop you choose. But definitely a way to get a deal on your electronics. Yeah, We've gotten a lot of a lot of them there. I have yet to go to a pawn shop. I really enjoyed doing that episode with you and hearing all the deals you and Travis have gotten at pawn shops. But every time I drive by one, I'm like, I don't know. I don't know if I can go women, what's going to happen to me in there? I'll maybe maybe you

and I should go together. Yes, they are, so if you are going, you want to assess the area before you go into one. Obviously, if you feel safe on the outside, you're most likely going to feel safe on the inside. If you don't feel safe on the outside, there's no telling how safe you'll feel on the inside. So, um, but there's a stigma around them that you know has been built for a reason. But for the most part, uh, I feel and I'm pretty picky, so I have standards

and I will still go into a punch up for sure. Yeah, I'd go with you. You'd help to make me feel safe, I think, okay good. Um. The fourth is probably my favorite one on this list, and it's consider what you really need. So I think about this all the time.

Like in so, I work online all of my businesses, like educating people about personal finance on the internet, and I like I am in community with people that do the same thing, and I look at their setups on zoom calls or in YouTube videos, and then I look at my setup where I've like still got the same

sixty dollar microphone, uh that I got. And then I had be like when we started recording this podcast, and we are the same pop filter and every same pop filter that Eric gave me for free, and we are like creeping in on one million downloads of this podcast. I just recently got a Bluetooth like keyboard, and I'm a professional writer. I so it takes me a long time. If I'm getting something, I have to actually really legitimately

need it. Um. And that's just I just don't like having a lot of tech stuff just to have the best of everything. Like, I feel like everything I put out is totally on par with other people's. Yet I'm still using my my phone, not even like the latest version. I'm using the smaller version because I don't like how big iPhones have gotten, so actually downgraded to the smaller phone, and and and everything is fine. It's fine, guys. I do appreciate that about you, and I think that that

is a perspective pet. We can grasp on too in a variety of areas of our life, right, not just with technology, but even what I need is different from what you need. So our microphones are different, which that's thanks to Eric because he knows different things about our vocal registers and what microphone is gonna work best for both of us. I don't know he's telling me to

get another microphone, um, but that's the thing. What's somebody else has may not be what we need based on the type of content that we're putting out or what we do with our Like the computer I need is drastically different from the computer that my husband needs based on the type of work that we do on our computers. So consider what you as an individual need for the

work that you do. Uh. And then even once you consider that, consider how do you actually need all of those things or can it be done in a more minimalist kind of way. And so I will say a caveat to you know, trying to have as little as possible is don't finagle and and have technology absorb a lot of time from you just to finagle doing with less. If you can save time by spending money on some kind of tech or electronic then your time is worth

more like you cannot get time back. And if efficiency, um, so that is something really important. If something will save me time, then I will do like a software or something. That's what I'll spend money on. Number five on here is to trade in or sell old electronics. So this is a great tip, and certainly cell phone companies will offer some trade in value if you're going to be upgrading. Um. When we did our episode on buying and selling electronics is one of the things that we focused in on.

So there's a lot of links in in that episode just about um, where to trade in or where to sell electronics, And we'll get the link to that episode in our show notes. But certainly you could just sell your old electronics on Facebook, Marketplace or eBay or online. You don't have to do like a trade in necessarily, but that can help offset the cost of what maybe you've just put into your your newer electronic. Absolutely, so as I try and look for that episode, I'll find

it later. It's fine, um And then the next one is another one that I tend to do. It kind of piggybacks on like just buying older versions. It's go middle of the road. Um. So low end electronics save you the most money when you purchase them, but they will cost you more over the life of the item. Um. But high end products aren't always worth the extra money, especially if you're not going to use all those features. You don't need to buy them, um. So always try

and go middle like mid range where you can. So this is something I try to do. I will get the the higher end brand and then just go middle of the road for features. So yeah, that's kind of what I'm trying to do with this webcam. There's actually a lot of I mean, so now there are a lot of webcams out there. There were probably not that many in but but I am looking for one that I can grow with because I'm looking to record video,

not just look okay on zoom calls. Yeah, and I think going middle of the road is possible when we look at recommendations and reviews. So when you're let's say you're searching on Amazon for something, looking at not only the reviews and how many stars that they have, but the Amazon also. I love to use this function like similar products or other things that others have bought, and you'll usually see something that's maybe a little bit more expensive or less expensive, and how they pair as far

as their features and ratings go. Um, that's been super helpful to me as I've bought not just tech but appliances as well. Um, I've been in the market for a blender and I don't I mean, I'd love a vitem X, but I'm like, there's gotta be the middle of a of the road, and I am finding something's really just based off of going through um Amazon and looking at that like others others have used or others

have purchased or similar products. So I I love looking at the wire cutter and it's owned by the New York Times now, but they tend to try and go middle of the road with their reviews, so they'll they'll review like when I was looking at webcam reviews. So the tech websites are all reviewing the best of the bass, and the wire Cutter tries to do both. Um and they added a lot of the lower cost ones in

there this year. Um and they still found like one that was kind of mid range definitely more expensive, but um, yeah, so the wire Cutter is a is a great resource for UM reviews in comparisons awesome, got it linked in the show notes. Last, but certainly not least, Number seven is ask for price or matching discounts. So of course many stores will price match competitors prices of the same item. And sometimes I've wondered this, like why would I work hard or do you even try to talk to somebody

to get the same price. But they made a good point that if you have a financial incentive to shop at one retailer over another retailer, that could be a reason to go for a price match. If you've got a credit card with a certain retailer, you get points or whatever, then seeing okay, will they price match this item? And then I also get some of these bonus points for purchasing with them. Uh, you can ask what kind

of discounts are available as well. Sometimes places will be able to say, you know what, there's actually a manufacturer's coupon, or if you download this app or whatever. You never know what what it can do to ask a sales

associate for what are all the options? And possibly I know that Best Buy even has a like a refurbished section within their store oftentimes, and I think even online, it's possible that that a store associate could know we actually have this similar product in the refurbished section that you could get for even cheaper. It's also just a place to start to when you're looking for something less expensive, but it is still yeah certified so yeah, and best

Buy has a great price match, uh like guaranteed to yeah. Yeah. And places like Apple and Microsoft and other companies will even offer student discounts. So certainly, if you've got a student in your home, consider taking advantage of those programs to be able to get discounts on your electronics. Absolutely, So let's let's transition into used electronics, because this is

actually where I like to look first. But I don't waste a lot of time looking for something used if I need it, so I will definitely, you know, look all over, get all the channels and see what's out there. But if I'm not finding something that's right for me, then I moved to new Like I'm I'm not. I try to be good and and buy second hand as much as possible, but like, my time is valuable and

sometimes I just need things new. But so I highly recommend, highly encourage you not to be afraid of used tech and used electronics. This I mean, so this laptop I'm using now was used from a punch up. The one I used before I got off a Craigslist yeah, and use it for many years and then gave it to my mother and now she's using it. And the Apple Watch that I'm wearing here used off Facebook marketplace like it's it's okay. Yeah. The only thing I own that's

not used is my mattress and underwear. So yeah, you can't say that all of your microphones, Jill, you have like seven, my husband used them or they were like getting as gifts or one or who knows, but sure, okay, but this, uh, this next article is from the Balance and it is what to look for when buying used electronics. And I loved every single thing on here. So we're going through things five or six, all of it, all right. So the first one on here is research the model online.

So know that we've already talked about research, and yes that's still true. Research research, research. Once you zero in on a used item that you're interested in, research that specific model, that year that that model UM, so that you can know and what we're looking for is ratings and reviews on that. Once a product has been out, people are going to talk about it, so find out what they're saying. Are is the product known to hold

its charge? Or there are important things that you need to know about the life of that tech a year or two into use, or their common problems that happen within that model number of that particular tech, and be aware some things you might be willing to navigate and

other things might be a deal breaker for you. But make sure that you know going into it what you need to be looking for, what you need to be aware of, and maybe how much longer that that item might have the life of it might have left in it. And the next is to always perform a test. So when you are buying something from someone UM, you don't want to meet in a parking lot or something. You want to meet out a place that has WiFi, that has plugs that you can sit down and actually perform

a test on the electronic you're buying. So when I bought my laptop off Craigslist, we met at a Starbucks and UH, I used the Starbucks WiFi to make sure that it booted up. Everything was okay, it could connect to WiFi UH and UM, and it was a safe, safe space to back before cod Oh my gosh, this was I think two thousand twelve, so it was a long time ago. UM, but the good old Yeah. So you always want perform a test before you buy it. Next on this list is to look for external signs

of damage. So while of course you want to look at dings and scratches on the device, you also want to look at different ports. Make sure that there's no signs of burning or jarring or foreign objects that have been placed into various ports on whether a computer, TV, or any kind of electronic that needs to be plugged in. UM. And also a lot of devices will have indicators on them if they've been near water or or have gotten wet, so make sure that and that's part of the research

of the model. Back to tip number one, find out where those indicators are on the device, on the phone, on the camera, on the computer you name it, and then look for that that part on it to see if it has sustained any water damage. Um So, yeah, not just scratches and dings, but also all over the device. What kind of damage has happened to it. Next, evaluate whether it's compatible with your accessories. Um So, this is

another thing you want to bring to your test. If you have a keyboard and mouse like Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, if you have an external webcam, if you have something that you use regularly you know with your electronic like I'm thinking computer, but you you think in your terms, then you want to bring that to wherever you're meeting and test your accessories with the electronics. So this doesn't necessariarily go if you're planning on getting new accessories anyway.

Um But the like the article says, if you just invested in new air pod earphones, you won't want to buy an iPhone that has an older style your phone jack. So just take inventory of what accessories you don't want to part with and make sure they are compatible with the new electronic before you purchase m yeah, and that it can can grow with you. Obviously, the goal would be to then maintain that tech piece of tech for

as long as possible. So that's where it might be worth paying a bit more money for a model that that you can also maintain for a couple of years at least, and and it's compatible with with your things. You might get a great deal on a non smart TV, but are you going to want those capabilities in your TV in the next one to three years, and it might might be worth springing for that smart TV. And finally on this list is whenever possible by certified used products.

So this would be electronics that are refurbished, certified, and even carry a warranty. This is great, especially on your much more expensive products and i'd say appliances. Um, But that's that's where Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace can fall short, is that you're not necessarily buying something that is certified or has a warranty. We're mainly talking buying from distributors like Apple or best Buy or fill in the blank. On large retailer who has some of these pre owned

electronics is Tronics. They themselves have refurbished them and are now certifying them again with maybe a lesser warranty, but still something to back that product. Especially if you're investing a decent amount of money, it's nice to have some of that peace of mind. I would include UM floor models into that list, So ask about floor model displays. UM see if you can buy one of those, and you can get a great discount on a floor model, and it usually comes with some kind of even if

the warranty is lesser, some kind of protection. M hm uh. And that's all for the list, but I have a bonus one actually, UM So also contact the manufacturer to see if the serial number of that electronic has been reported stolen. UM So, with a lot of high price tech items, you can register it. You'll need to register it to get the limited warranty in there. You'll have

to put the serial number of your product. And then if for some reason your tech is stolen, then you can report that as stolen and it will come up when the serial number goes through that yes that was stolen, this is who it belongs to or no. UM So it doesn't always work, but it is definitely something. With this computer that I bought at the pawn shop, I old Apple to see if the serial number was registered and if it had been reported stolen um and found out that it had not been, so I felt better

about buying it. And they're supposed to do that at the punch shop, but I don't trust them, so I do it myself. Um that that did make me think of another tip for savings is a lot of times we can think, Okay, this is this is old, this isn't really worth anything. Let me just get rid of it and get new. But it's possible that your old thing, even if you don't have a warranty on it, could

help bring you a discount. So example of this, I have Bows headphones, but they're starting to get really afraid the cord on it, and so I'm I'm like, okay, I need a new pair of headphones. But then the thought occurred to me, I wonder what Bows would offer, I mean, what kind of They don't have a warranty on them anymore, but how will they stand behind their product?

And sure enough, they offer a discount on other products, Like I had to type in the serial number and all that, and then they gave me comparable products that they sell to these current headphones at a discounted price just I don't know for brand loyalty, I suppose um, But I'm really glad that I thought of that because I was just gonna get rid of them, like sound in the one ear has been going out something. I'm just gonna throw them out and replace them. But bos

is actually offering me a discount on them. So something to consider, especially if something that you have is broken, even if you don't have a warranty on it. Sometimes certain retailers will stand behind their products and at least give you a discount on a new new item that you buy. Yeah, definitely, And you know what we stand by every week, every week, no warranty. That's right, it's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe

a baby was born and his name is William. Maybe you paid off your mortgage, maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. That's built Bufalo bills, Bill Clinton, this is the bill of the week. Hi, then and Bill, this is Johanna from Miami. And the favorite bill I'm paying right now is my seventies dollar CO pay for my ultrasound. So I'm fifteen weeks pregnant, and pretty much everything three because my husband has amazing insurance through his job except for

those ultrasounds. But gosh darn it, it is worth every dollar that I spend to see what the heck is going on inside of there. So thanks for the show. Really enjoy it. Congratulation Johanna. Congratulations. That's so exciting. What a fun bill to pay. Oh my gosh, that really really is. And it's true. It's you're it's so nerve wracking when you're pregnant and you're like, what is going on in there? Like let me at that ultrasound because I don't give you one every time. It's just like

a few different times, and it's like, come on. And then I'm so thrilled to hear that you have great insurances and that like, this is just a fun thing to spend money on. I know because I talked to moms who've had like several kids, and I'm like, oh, the ultratutions, it's whatever. Like I had one and I'm like, how did you survive without seeing inside your tummies? I needed to see for me. But graduate, congratulations, that's so exciting,

and uh, yeah, your little nugget, Yeah, your little bill. Yeah, it's a little bit. Name name your child Bill? Yeah, please somebody do please if you have named your child William or Bill, please let us know at Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash Bill and tell us all about your bills that have to do with your babies and your baby bills. Yes, and now the lightning round. So we have four browser extensions for you to download to

save you time and money when shopping for electronics. And I am definitely a minimalist when it comes to apps and extensions and and all of this stuff, but these are things that we really use and they really do help. So yeah, so here you go, coming at you a lightning speed. We got Honey. You can track price history for up to six months and add an item to your drop list and get a notification when the price drops to a certain price. It also tries coupons from

all over the internet. And on top of all that, when you use Honey, you get gold points made some gold points that you can redeem four gift cards, and if you sign up through Frugal Friends Podcast dot com slash Honey, you'll get five hundred bonus gold points, which equals five dollars store to gift card. I feel like I just talked physics. You get gold points, you get five dollar gift card, you get this, you get that. Um, we're not sponsored by money. They are. This isn't a

Philly it link. Use it or don't use it. Honey is still like it's it's a decent extension that can help you to save money and gives you stuff back. We're just giving you this so that you can also get five dollars. So use Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash honey and it equates to a five dollar gift card. Yeah. I'm using this because I when I'm searching from a webcam, I used Honey to track the price history of the one I want and saw that it is currently twenty

dollars more expensive than its cheapest price. So then I set up an alert in the drop list so that it alerts me as soon as that comes back down. So that made me think about within Facebook marketplace, you can also set an alert, Like if you're looking for something specifically, you can set an alert. Hey, if anybody posts a couch, you'll get a notification right away. I only recommend that if if you know that you're looking for something specific. So that you can get the best deal.

I'm not saying, like, get all these alerts to tell you about all the deals you can bend all this money. Ultimately, it can save you money. My husband does it all the time. And we just got a dope deal on a couch because he said that alert and then he was the first one to reach out and we were the first one to go get it and we scored big and that that couch is dope. Yeah, it smells a little bit like dog, but we're getting away and getting the smell out going away. So the second one

is parabus. UM. Parabus tracks delivery and price drops UM, like at a dozen stories or something, but I use it mainly for Amazon, Target and best Buy, And so it finds a price drop at the store you purchased an item or if the item is delivered outside of the delivery window UM, and then Parabus will contact the store to file a claim to get you a price match or whatever money it can get you. UM. It's not as robust with Amazon, but UM with other places it will like do do it on your behalf um.

And many retailers are extending their price match policies for the holidays and I mean, we all know how inconsistent package delivery is this time of year, so this is a great one to have and you can get that parabus dot co, so p A, R I, b U S dot C O nice. The third one is Racketin. You all have heard us talk about racketin man if we were talking about racketin before we even had an affiliate link to it, honest goodness, it's so great. You get cash back. You don't got to deal with points

give cards. Those are great too, but racketin just gives you called hard cash, so you you get cash back on your online purchases. And if you're not using it already, first time users get a ten dollar bonus cash back after you spend on any purchases. It doesn't even have to be on one purchase. You can buy from a bunch of different stores. Once you reach spendings, you just get ten dollars back. UM when you sign up with our promo code Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash racket

in UM. Definitely use it. I can't say enough good things about just getting money in the mail. It just has to be at a store that has cash. It's cash back eligable so you spend your twenty five dollars, you get ten dollars back and whatever cash back percentage they're offering. It's great. I love racket in UM. And then the last one is unrolled dot me. It rolls up all your promotion emails into one daily email UM that you can decide whether you want to get in

the morning, afternoon, or evening. And so I've used it for years. I love it. It keeps it's free, UM, it keeps my inbox cleaner, and I can still be part of store newsletters that I want to be part of, but I don't have to look at them if I don't want to UM. And they are definitely gonna be a lot of promo emails going out through the end

of the year. So this might be a really good thing that if there's a store you want to keep track of what sales are going on there, UM, but you don't want to be reminded of it all the time. It's unrolled, so you n R O L L dot m E. And also another free offer that we have for you today, don't forget to visit Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash holiday to get that debt free Christmas planner so that you can keep all this tech shopping

on budget. M thanks everyone so much for listening. We want to thank you for your kind of views on iTunes and Stitcher, like this one. Okay, here we go. This one's from Sweden, all the way from Sweden, and then I'm going to try and pronounce it just because it's gonna be fun for everybody. It's a hot hot God luck, God, ha God, look my cad look something great. Podcast happens to be five stars. The rest of it's in English, so here you go. Hopefully I can get it.

Making economics seem less scary and more fun. Frugality makes me feel empowered, and so does this podcast. Green heart emoji. Thank you so much to be here for you, and thanks for listening all the way from Sweden. How crazy is that is that we have a listener in Sweden. I bet we have more than one in Sweden. Jen's is why we got to go on our tour. I know we're gonna definitely, I mean, we'll see. We also want to thank our friends who share these episodes on

social media. So when you share the latest episode and tag us on Facebook or Instagram at Frugal Friends Podcast. We're adding you to our monthly drawing, and for every five tags and reviews we get each month, we're giving away a copy of the Frugal Friends Workbook. So keep leaving those reviews on iTunes or Stitcher. Send us a screenshot to fugal Friends podcast at gmail dot com. It's the only way that those reviews get entered into the drawing. And tag us on social all the ways will get

you into the running for a Frugal Friends workbook. And uh, happy shopping, Happy Thanksgiving mm hmm, And and hang out with us and the Frugal Friends community group on Facebook and tell us your tips for saving on tech and other things. We just want, we want all, we want, All them. Tips by Frugal Friends is produced, edited and mixed by Eric Syria. So when I was doing research for this article, I realized that Black Friday has already started. Whoa, yeah,

it's uh. Stores are taking advantage of people just being at home and buying, and well, they want to keep people out of the stores, so they're like, we're gonna we're gonna start Black Friday in October. Hey, there, Halloween hasn't even started or happened but Black Friday has scary great deals, So I mean, I wonder though if it

will help people. I don't It could go either way, obviously, but help people space out their Christmas purchases and not spend as much all within the two weeks prior to Christmas, or they're just going to spend so much in these last three months towards the end of the year. We'll see. I'm just staying off the internet, That's what I'm doing. Sure, i am. I'll be here, but talking, talking, but not buying, right, That's what I'm trying to do, all right, Folks, buy a game.