How to buy a Mac on the cheap

I was a PC… then I got a virus, died and resurrected as a mac. Since then, it’s my personal experience that macs are better than PCs in almost every way. No viruses, no microsoft, no solitaire… Heaven!

I guess the only area where Macs fall behind is the price; they can be a bit on the expensive side. Lucky for you, I hack life… and I’ve discovered a few tricks that will help you save hundreds on a superior computer that will last for years.

Tip # 1)   Be a student

Apple often gives huge discounts and bonuses to students. Recently they where giving away a free iPod touch to students that purchased macs. A $200 value.  Your welcome.

If you are not a student you can get around this by asking a friend that may be a student to go with you to the mac store. Alternatively, if you’re anywhere around college age you can just say you’re a student! Usually they wont give you a hard time about “forgetting” your student id.

Visit Apple Educational store to see current student discounts. (Just enter your zip and select any school in your area)

Tip # 2)  Buy Refurbished

I would never recommend buying refurbished products from anyone other than Apple. But this tip can literally save you hundreds on a relatively brand new Mac. The reason I trust their refurbished products is the same reason their CEO wears the same turtleneck and jeans everyday of his life: They’re all very anal at apple. When it comes to technology, that’s a good thing. All of their refurbished products go through a stringent process of umm.. refurbishment.

I’ve personally purchased a few refurbished macs and I can tell you that it’s completely safe.

Visit Apple Refurbished store to see the deals.

Tip # 3) Shop Clearance

This tactic is very similar to Refurbished, but features brand new Macs. The computer models may be one generation off, but when you’re talking Macs the difference between the newer and older models is usually minimal.

This tactic is recommended as it can save you a few hundred dollars on a brand new Mac. Visit the Apple Clearance store.

Tip # 4)  Buy an Imac

While this tip will not save you money directly, it will inform you about the best value you can purchase at apple. The iMac is one of the few macs computer that is not overpriced. If you take into account all the options included in the machine you will see that it’s actually a good value compared to PCs.

For example, you can purchase a clearance iMac with the following options for about $ 1,400

I hope these tips help you save a couple bucks on your next Mac purchase. I saved around $300 on the iMac I used to write this article.