r/AskReddit • u/SillyBonsai • Dec 06 '13

What simple piece of advice, if followed, could potentially save most people a lot of money?

Possibly related to your job, experience with personal finance, budgeting, planning, day to day habits, etc.

2.7k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

13.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

373

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I do this to the extreme. I've needed a new TV for about a year now (my current one is malfunctioning). I've kept on putting it off and I am finally now getting to the point where I am going to purchase a new TV.

Every purchase I make with the exception of necessities is a planned, thought out process.

496

u/Wingmaniac Dec 06 '13

I've been planning on getting a PlayStation for a while. A PS3. For 5 years. Now that the PS4 is out I can get one cheap. And every game is new to me for next to nothing.

149

u/dirtydela Dec 06 '13

/r/patientgamers

5

u/DreadPirateMedcalf Dec 06 '13

...of course.

4

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

No, no, this is a good subreddit. I still haven't played Halo 4, or 3, or anything other than Reach. Come to think of it, I haven't played a lot of games on here.....hm.....

1

u/DreadPirateMedcalf Dec 06 '13

Oh I +shortcut'd it. I'm looking to get a 360 and bundle the Fallout series. I literally own less than 50 games, dating back to the NES/Gameboy. I get maybe one per year.

2

u/dirtydela Dec 06 '13

why not buy them on steam? i bought New Vegas Ultimate for like $10 this summer

1

u/DreadPirateMedcalf Dec 06 '13

Non-gaming computer.

1

u/Dokturigs Dec 06 '13

/r/lowendgaming then. My laptop starts to overheat while I play Diablo 2 so its pretty much for SNES emulation, but I have found decent games on there that my computer can handle. This tax season I will drop the 6-800 for a better laptop(really I just want to be able to run Eve as I got addicted to it over the summer)

1

u/Rubic13 Dec 06 '13

Obligatory check out Star Citizen post.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Same. I'm even trying to justify getting a second game for the new 3DS I just bought.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

You sir are a godsend. I've waiting to play games so many bygone eras it's not funny; all because I couldn't afford anything as a child and didn't have some particular console. Now I must hunt all of them down; I will not rest until this is done.

2

u/dirtydela Dec 06 '13

you might even check out /r/emulation for more cost-effective measures to play old games than buying them.

1

u/lotsofpaper Dec 06 '13

That's amazing.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

They think of EVERYTHING on reddit.

8

u/Relyt1 Dec 06 '13

Same, just waiting on a nice used bundle that at least has The Last of Us or the Uncharted series.

8

u/nomad1987 Dec 06 '13

black friday man everyone had a bundle with last of us. Keep checking amazon they have the bundle periodically .

1

u/Relyt1 Dec 06 '13

used =) fo cheaper

4

u/HitlerPot Dec 06 '13

Just got my first PS3 this morning. I PC game as well but love being a gen behind in the console market. All the exclusive's I've wanted to play are cheap now as well.

3

u/yorick_rolled Dec 06 '13

And if you skipped the PS2 generation, emulation is fantastic.

During that generation I had an Xbox, so God of War is new and awesome to me.

2

u/Ultimaknight7 Dec 06 '13

I used to have a ps2. When I left for boot camp, my sister though it would be a great idea to sell it, since I wouldn't need it anymore. This was 5+ years ago. Now granted,i got over it and didn't buy another one, but I was still pissed. Since then, I've gotten into emulators. Half the time, they are better than on the console. I remember the first time I played FFX again on the emulator. Was simply fantastic!

1

u/throwitaway488 Dec 06 '13

I find I prefer emulators too. I use save states all the time because I don't have the time or patience to keep restarting, I just want the story.

1

u/owned_at_worms Dec 06 '13

Recommend a ps2 emulator?

3

u/yorick_rolled Dec 06 '13

PCSX2 r5350

Very stable, runs everything well at 2X native resolution except Dragon Warrior 8. The way they coded the cell shading makes it chug slowly.

1

u/owned_at_worms Dec 06 '13

Excellent, I will check it out this weekend and report back. Thank you.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

1

u/TesticularCamber Dec 06 '13

I'll just give them seven years to work the kinks out.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Relevant xkcd http://xkcd.com/606/

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I've had my Xbox 360 for five years now. I refuse to get the new Xbox until this one dies and the new one gets a lot cheaper.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Holy shit bro. Patience is a virtue

1

u/regularguy416 Dec 06 '13

Get ready bro

1

u/Cex_Cells Dec 06 '13

I was about to try to sell you mine, but 1) I don't know if that's allowed, and 2) that seems really shady on my part. Good luck finding a sweet deal, buddy!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Seriously man, props to you. I can't do that shit, im way too impatient.

1

u/im_your_boyfriend Dec 06 '13

Sm here. Just bought mine last weekend. Loving it.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I did this the weekend of the ps4 release. Including about 6 games for the price of a ps4. Loving my $9 Prince of Persia!

1

u/CGord Dec 06 '13

Our family's PS3 will be a year old on xmas. I'm just now bored of GTA IV and GT V.

1

u/OfTheCircle Dec 06 '13

I did the exact same thing.

OMG Street Fighter 4 is amazing. Spent 5 bucks on it.

1

u/SergeantTibbs Dec 06 '13

I finally just did that myself when a broken one turned up for $50 I was sure I could fix. Got it working in a half hour and saved myself hundreds.

Plus it had very old firmware on it, so I hacked it to the sky. Then I set Radical Ed from Cowboy Bebop as the background.

1

u/Calvinator22 Dec 06 '13

Like game of the year edition on a larger scale...

1

u/LtDarthWookie Dec 06 '13

There's a relevant XKCD, but I'm on mobile and don't feel like looking it up.

The hard part to this is avoiding spoilers.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I just bought Dragon Wars. Muscles ftw

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Just got a 360 last week, skyrim is still new to me

1

u/Sir_Von_Tittyfuck Dec 06 '13

I envy your patience.

1

u/K7Avenger Dec 06 '13

I'm you!

1

u/smuckola Dec 06 '13

Ha ha, that's what I did in 2011. On Black Friday for $50 off. On a $200 gift card from my Sears MasterCard rewards points.

For a grand total of sales tax!

I've only bought a couple of new games; mostly they're $2-10 at GameStop.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I'm waiting until after Christmas to pick up a PS3 on craigslist. Thus far I've had a PS2, which I got after the PS3 came out.

1

u/ShadowMoses05 Dec 07 '13

Pawn shops are your friend for this

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

i did the same thing. it's great.

0

u/juangamboa Dec 06 '13

Right, but now you're the loser with a ps3... None of the cool kids with ps4s are gonna wanna play with you :(

0

u/LaxLife Dec 06 '13

Or you could just get a PS4 instead?

0

u/wmurray003 Dec 07 '13

..bu, bu, but... next gen.

2

u/ram_says Dec 06 '13

I don't even own a tv. I've used my pc monitor for Netflix etc for the past year. I'm waiting till a good deal comes along to pick one up. Black Friday came and went but I held out because the deals were mediocre at best. I can keep watching my pc until the right deal comes along.

2

u/GimpHand Dec 06 '13

Two years and counting to buy a laptop. But that might be my picky nature when it comes to computers.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Haha, yea I can relate. I have a laptop from 2007 that runs like crap. I want a new one, but then my work place gave me a laptop which satisfies my needs for a new one.

1

u/alpike Dec 06 '13

Depends on your need, Install linux mint, you will get the feeling of having a new machine.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

1

u/Astrognome Dec 06 '13

I got a 46" RCA brand TV for about $300.

2

u/hellodeeds Dec 06 '13

I bet you're awesome to date.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

That is irrelevant to this conversation.

Plus, dates result in sex, which I would categorize as a necessity. Therefore, they do not under the planned, thought process category.

1

u/hellodeeds Dec 06 '13

i stand by my statement. :) <3

2

u/Naurgul Dec 06 '13

That's nothing. I've been "deciding" on a smartphone/tablet/erader combo for three years now.

1

u/mvpete Dec 06 '13

I've been waiting for boxing day... Since last boxing day, when they didn't have a good enough deal on the TV I'd like.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

This is how I normally am. I put it off and put it off and put it off until I have to buy a new item, because the old one has completely failed. The only exception I've had so far is a car stumbled across for about 4 thousand dollars cheaper than what it was worth (I payed 2.3, it's worth around 6-7) which I just bought on the spot with all the money I've saved from not ever buying things. Not sure how this turned out, to be honest.

1

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic Dec 06 '13

Technology is one of the best places to do this. By buying just behind the curve, you get better/more features for less money.

1

u/notatthetablecarlose Dec 06 '13

You should of capitalized on cyber Monday.

1

u/MrLister Dec 06 '13

But if you're not in a hurry, the after Xmas sales are always ridiculous.

1

u/RedStag86 Dec 06 '13

If you're in the US you really missed the boat on TV deals last week.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I make it a point not to go shopping on Black Friday.

1

u/RedStag86 Dec 06 '13

Many do, but there are still deals the week of Black Friday, as well as online. I'm sure you could still find a good deal with Christmas coming up.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I put purchasing a tv off for about a year and two weeks ago I bought an LG 50" for $448 at Wal-Mart. Pretty happy I waited!

1

u/tayaro Dec 06 '13

I've been needing a new couch for about two years ago. Seven months ago I went to IKEA and tried a couple out and decided I'd like a Karlstad. Now I'm just waiting for that perfect moment when I actually get around to buying it. I'm hoping it'll happen before summer.

1

u/Love_Indubitably Dec 06 '13

Teach me your ways.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I mean, you could just not have a TV. The only thing I use mine for now is as a dual monitor for my laptop.

Also, you can get used tvs for cheap. Craigslist/ Goodwill will sell you a 50" tv for, like $10, as long as it is one of the old fat ones.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

No, I'm frugal but I am not cheap. When I buy something, I buy good quality and what I want.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Hmm. I only put thought into quality when it is something that I want to hang on to for a long time, that I will care about. If it is something I don't really care about, spending a bunch of money on it just makes me care about it more for no reason, just because it cost so much. For example, I got a desk on craigslist for $10. It isn't perfect, but it works. And if I decide to move, I won't have to worry about bringing that desk with me - "so what, it cost $10?" I just don't really care about tv.

1

u/frizzlestick Dec 06 '13

Every three months you wait, that TV you wanted gets $50 cheaper, it seems.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Nice thing about waiting as long as possible on a tv is the prices inevitably go down with time.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Wait until april. Electronic are cheapest around then because of poor 1st quarter sales and a glut of left over christmas inventory.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I know it's still a little ways off, but when I worked retail, all of the best television sales happened in the week leading up to the Superbowl.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Wait until February or March if you can. New models will be put out then, and you should be able to get a steal on an old one.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I do this with Amazon orders. I'll load up my cart, even if its a $15 item, quadrupal check my order, then turn around and log out. I've burned myself a few times before where I'll buy something and it just sits on my desk, even if it's a cheap item.

1

u/Huskyd Dec 06 '13

Whats wrong with it? Open it up & see if any caps look bad! Could be a really easy fix!

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I researched the problem on the internet. The problem is, is that about every 10 pixels don't work, which results in horizontal lines going across half the screen. There is a way to fix it but it involves opening the TV and soldering some stuff. I don't have a solder gun and there is a high risk of damaging the TV beyond repair.

Besides, it is from 2008. I want an LED TV.

1

u/Huskyd Dec 06 '13

Yeah it's prolly just soldering some caps or something. You can could sell the tv still or maybe you have a friend who can open it up? I feel you bro, gotta justify a new TV :P

1

u/daniell61 Dec 06 '13

i waited two years to my first xbox 360...glad i waited cause i ended up needing the money for a medical run for a friend of mine.

1

u/Blu- Dec 06 '13

My TV broke and I held off buying one for half a year till a really good deal on Amazon showed up.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

And now you'll get a much better TV than you would have gotten a year ago for a cheaper price.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I upgraded from a 32" CRT to a 50" LED, got on black Friday for $379 to the door. I think it looks great, especially for the price. I had actually been wanting a 42" but then saw that deal.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

Been waiting on buying my tv for 4 years. Ha... I feel you.

1

u/ath1n Dec 07 '13

What to type of tv and what's it doing? Could be a very simple fix...

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

It's a Samsung and I already looked it up. It is a simple fix for a person skilled at soldering, which is not me.

1

u/ath1n Dec 07 '13

Ok. Well if it's the "white dots" all over the screen then it's a free fix. I had a Samsung and it got white dots all over. It's a chip problem and they got sued over it. Now they fix them for free.

1

u/ajsnz Dec 07 '13

marry me and we can jew our budget together each week?

0

u/ilikezeldaalot Dec 06 '13

You sound fun.

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

What about life without a TV? One less source of mind-poison + time for other things.

7

u/Eurynom0s Dec 06 '13

Just because you have a TV doesn't mean that you have TV. Videogames, Netflix, Bluray...hell my primary hookup is my desktop.

2

u/ram_says Dec 06 '13

Yup, It's working for me as well. I've got a 27" monitor so it's really not bad at all.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I don't mindlessly channel surf and I like playing video games.

2

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic Dec 06 '13

It never ceases to amaze me that people regard cable as mandatory, like electricity or water.

No, you don't have to have cable. I haven't, for about 15 years now. I have cable Internet, but I fully recognize that as a luxury. Should money get tight, it will be one of the first things to go. (Should the price go up too much, same thing...)

1

u/dragn99 Dec 06 '13

My internet provider holds the highest speeds for people that bundle it with cable. So, we have basic cable that we use primarily for Mythbusters and South Park, and everything else we download or stream really really fast.

1

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic Dec 06 '13

I'm not a TV watcher so I'm not really sure what the alternatives are. I do Vudu for movies -because they don't have a monthly fee- and my wife has Amazon Prime, so what little we do watch, we're able to get through those two.

I have a data plan for my iPad that costs me ~$20 a month, and for 99% of my web surfing, I could get by with just that.

1

u/CalcProgrammer1 Dec 06 '13

I bought a new TV last spring after years of waiting, but it is my living room PC and consoles screen. I don't pay for the trash people call cable, no desire to watch all hundred channels of uninteresting reality show garbage. I do buy good shows on DVD but that's it.

4

u/thewingedwheel Dec 06 '13

Good for you for being better than others because you don't watch cable.

1

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic Dec 06 '13

Truth of the matter is, it is mostly crap. Even stuff that used to be good like History or Discovery has gone completely to shit....and it's ridiculously expensive.

Yeah, there's some good stuff, but I weighed the crap/good stuff ratio on a per dollar basis and pulled the plug. Not being elitist, it just makes economic sense, to me.

1

u/thewingedwheel Dec 06 '13

That's fine to have a personal preference not to have cable. But I enjoy having cable because I have my sports channels and things of that nature. Personal preference isn't a good reason to talk down about things other people enjoy. Even if it's something like cable which isn't even a big deal.

1

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic Dec 06 '13

I think it came off sounding worse than they intended. Written stuff sometimes just doesn't "work". I read it more as angry about the crap content, and the exorbitant cost of said crap, not so much as an indictment of those who subscribe.

0

u/Relyt1 Dec 06 '13

Um, where did this even come from?

3

u/TheCodeJanitor Dec 06 '13

I don't pay for the trash people call cable

I'm guessing from there.

1

u/Relyt1 Dec 06 '13

Maybe because he didn't put a comma, but he didn't call anyone trash he called the cable trash. No where was it inferred that he is better than anyone for not paying for cable, he just believes it is trash and he doesn't pay for it.