With our new home we are trying to save as much money on all of our purchase, because the more money we save in one area the more projects we can get started on. One of the first tasks we had to accomplish before we were able to even move in were purchasing some new appliances. We purchased our house as a foreclosure and the previous owners were so nice to take the fridge and washer/dryer. There also was only a hood over the stove and no built in microwave. We set out checked all the major appliance stores and this is how we found our best deals:
Tip #1: Check Outlet/Scratch and Dent Stores
In our area there is a Sears Outlet and supposedly a Sears Scratch and Dent store as well (but we drove around for 45 minutes and couldn’t find it, so we headed to the Outlet instead.) They had a ton of front loader washers and dryers for MUCH better prices than you see in stores, but we would find a dryer that was a good price and couldn’t find a matching washer. If you don’t care about matching then these are for you! So we gave up on the washer/dryers and headed to the huge section of refrigerators. They carried all colors: black, white, stainless, bisque, anything you need. After a few days of debating what color appliances we should get we decided to stick with white so we wouldn’t need to replace the perfectly good stove and dishwasher we already had. They had a good selection of white, some of the prices weren’t to impressive until we found a Samsung that sells for $1099 in stores marked down to $650. Sold! with delivery and hook up it came to just over $700. Our store didn’t have a very broad selection of microwaves, stoves and dishwashers. I would recommend checking out Sears Outlet if you need a fridge or washer/dryer.
Tip #2: Craigslist is your friend!
Check craigslist religiously. Right now you can score some great deals on fairly new appliances on Craigslist. Many people are selling their appliances before they are foreclosed and that means great prices for you. Be careful though, like always with Craigslist, do you research before purchasing. Ask for the model number and google it for reviews. H and I almost bought what many reviews called a lemon of a washer/dryer set before we googled it to find out that the model had been discontinued due to many complaints and several class action suits. We are still religiously checking Craigslist to find a great deal on a 2-3 years old washer/dryer set. Until we find it I guess we will continue taking our laundry to mommy's house.
Tip #3: Stalk Best Buy, Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
We happened to get lucky and find the matching microwave to our refrigerator at Best Buy marked down to $209 from $280. The cheapest anyone else was carrying it for was $250. We ordered it and had it shipped to the store so we wouldn't have to pay shipping and now we just need our handyman to come hook it up. We are still watching all these sites for a great prices washer/dryer set as well. Hopefully the big box stores or craigslist will come through for us soon. It is kind of a hassle lugging our clothes all around town.
Great ideas---we've purchased a few new pieces of furniture recently and we've discovered that "floor models are your friend" :) We got a $1500 storage ottoman for $650--it was a floor model and had one little scratch on the bottom that was easily covered with a furniture paint pen!
ReplyDeleteA lot of our appliances are scratched/dented, which sometimes just means the box is dented and the actual product is fine. That's how we bought our tv, tv stand, crock pot, toaster oven, and probably more that I'm forgetting. I think it's a great way to go!
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