Five Steps to Save on Electronics

4. Comparison Shop Online

Once you know what you want, you can begin to search for it online. There are plenty of price comparison aggregators out there that should give you an idea of a good price on the item you want relatively quickly.

The big three search engines all have price aggregators:

• Google Product Search
• MSN Shopping
• Yahoo Shopping

Or you can go with some of the dedicated price comparison aggregators, like:

• Pricegrabber
• Shopping.com

When you have found a good price, always do an Internet search for the store name plus "coupon code" to see if you can get an additional discount. Most major online stores offer coupon codes and there are a lot of sites that list them. The coupon code may get you a percentage off your purchase, a specific dollar amount off, or a bonus, such as free shipping.

5. Check the Store

Don't assume that the Internet will always offer the best price. Once you know how much it will cost online, check your local electronic discount stores such as Best Buy and Frys to see what they're charging for the same product.

Sometimes local sales will provide a better price than you can find online. Also, check general discounters such as Wal-Mart and Target, as their purchasing power can often allow them to offer gadgets at low prices.

If you want to get an additional 5% to 15% off your purchase at one of these stores, you can buy a gift card from an online auction site such as eBay. Gift cards for major retailers can often be purchased at a discount off the face value, and then can be used to buy the gadget you want.

By mapping out a strategy and taking the time to do the proper research, you will end up paying much less for your next gadget than the average consumer. You'll also have a much better chance of getting exactly what you want and need. That will help ensure that the gadget gets used regularly and is well worth the money you pay.