Six Ways to Save Money Buying Apple Products

Got your eye on a shiny iMac or iPod Touch but can't stomach paying full price? Here are some ways to satisfy your Apple craving for less.

1. Buy from a reseller
The easiest way to save money on brand new Apple products is to buy from an authorized reseller. They regularly offer dollar-off discounts, rebates, or packaged deals. For example, Apple is selling the base model Mac Mini for $599. MacConnection has the same model for $579. MacMall is charging $574 after a $20 rebate. When you purchase an iPod Classic, MacMall will throw in free engraving, free TuneRanger software, a free charger, and a free silicone case. A little research on reseller sites usually yields better deals than what Apple offers for new items.

2. Buy refurbished
A variety of retailers offer refurbished Apple products. There are a number of places that refurbished items come from, but they are usually indistinguishable from new items. The Apple Store offers the same warranty and support for refurbished items that they provide for new merchandise. Apple is currently selling the base model aluminum MacBook for $1299. An identical refurbished MacBook is selling for $1099 in Apple's refurbished section. Sometimes the refurbished items are a previous generation, but they are often the same model that is being sold new. Buying refurbished is a great way to get a like-new product at a significant discount.

3. Take advantage of Apple's education discount
Sometimes buying a new Apple product is the best way to go if you qualify for Apple Education Pricing. The following groups can qualifying for the discount: any employee of a public or private K-12 institution in the U.S or faculty, staff and students of higher education institutions in the U.S. Parents purchasing for their child who is a student at a higher education institution are also eligible. Right now, you can save $50 off the base model iMac by purchasing through the Education Store. The education discount goes up as the price of the product increases. Currently there are no discounts available for iPods or the Apple TV, although Apple does periodically run promotions where you can get a free iPod with a Mac purchase.

4. Buy used or previous models
If you don't need the latest model or are willing to purchase a used product, eBay always has a good supply of Apple products. It does require a little research to make sure you are getting the model you want at a good price, but you may even end up with a new item at a great price. The Apple Store also has clearance sales periodically on new items that are the previous generation.

5. Check resellers for upgrade options
If you are comfortable upgrading your own computers, there are usually much better deals to be had from third party resellers on things like more RAM and larger hard drives. Currently Apple charges $100 to upgrade a MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM. Crucial sells the same upgrade kit for $67.98. Some Apple products are not intended to be user-servicable, so make sure you do your homework to prevent voiding your warranty.

6. Look for free shipping and avoid sales tax
A final easy way to save money wherever you buy your Apple product is to look for stores that offer free shipping. Freeshipping.org has a variety of retailers that sell Apple products with free shipping codes. On higher priced items sales tax can also really add up. Try to find a store that doesn't charge sales tax (or at least doesn't charge YOU sales tax).