#ApplePicking

Some people climb trees for their Apples. I prefer to swipe, click and tap for mine. My name is Jillian, and I have an appetite for Apple products.

Are you a Mac-aholic? Would you describe yourself as an Apple addict? For those of you out there who covet theses beautifully designed machines …you’re not alone. Last month Apple posted quarterly revenue of $37.5 billion! How ‘bout them apples!

So we’ve established that you’re an Apple fanatic. Now the question is how can you save money on these costly devices? Apple is one of the few retailers that rarely offer sales on their devices, because frankly they don’t need to.  There is such a high demand for Apple products, that people will pay the full price. Not only will they pay the full price, but they also stand in line for hours to buy the newest releases!

So how can a thrifty gal or guy find a deal on Apple products you ask? Here are my top three answers:

Bundle your Apples

Most cell phone carriers allow you a new upgrade on your cell phones every two years. For me, January 13, 2013 was the big day! However, last January the iPhone 5 had already been out for 4 months, and in true Apple fashion I knew the next model would be released in October 2013. I decided to bite the bullet and hold on to my iPhone 4 for another 9 months, so that I could get the iPhone5s when it first hit the market. In the mean time I had also been contemplating if I wanted to buy an iPad to complete my Apple Eco-system. I have a MacBook Pro at home, and iMac at the office, an iPhone glued to the side of my face at all times…did I need an iPad for my purse?

I had shied away from the iPad in the past because I felt that it was too big to carry with me at all times and I felt that it would be redundant to pay for two data plans (one for my iPhone and one for an iPad). Once the cell phone carriers all instituted their data share plans, and Apple released the iPad mini, I felt as though it was a sign!

Once the iPhone5s frenzy settled down, I went to Best Buy to make my purchases. The beauty of buying Apple products from a retailer is that since they buy the products at wholesale cost they can offer discounts on the devices that you will not find in the Apple Store. Best Buy was offering a deal at the time that if you bought and activated an iPhone and an iPad at the same time they would give you $100 of the cost of the iPad! Woo Hoo!

Apple for the Student AND The Teacher

Apple has always offered a $100 discount for students and teachers. When I purchased my MacBook Pro in the Spring of 2011, I was very happy to find out that Best Buy honors the same discount! Since I was enrolled in Graduate School I was eligible for this discount by showing the sales associate a photo ID and a copy of a current class schedule.

So what’s the difference you ask? Why would I buy the laptop at Best Buy instead of through the Apple Store? The difference is that Best Buy has a customer loyalty program called RewardZone or My Best Buy, where customers receive 1 point per $1 spent that translates into future savings on purchases. Maximizing reward programs means you paid attention and aced Savings 101!

Corporate Discounts

Often times larger companies offer corporate discounts at major retailers for their employees. My sister works for John Hancock, and we were able to buy an iPad for our mother for Christmas last year with her corporate discount. Check to see if your employer offers you any such saving incentive.

That’s Soooo Last Years Model…but Who Cares!

If you don’t care about having the latest iPhone or iPad you can often receive a deep discount on the sales prices. Let’s be honest….if you compare an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 5s side by side you cannot tell the difference (exception: iPhone 5s is the only model available in Gold color). So if you don’t care about sporting the latest model, and you’re just interested in owning a quality IOS device, shop around at Apple retailers and see what type of discount you can receive.

Well that's all for #ApplePicking 101 for now. Stay tuned for future articles on optimizing your IOS devices!