I’m thinking about getting my son a refurbished iPad for his birthday this year as he will be needed one when he starts school next year and I’m worried with it just being thrown around in his bag and in class that it may not be cared for as much. I haven’t heard anything bad about refurbished devices and they are a lot cheaper

The other thing about refurbished tech is that – let’s be honest – kids don’t always take care of things. Start them off wiht less expensive tech, and it’s a bit less of a drama when something gets lost or damaged. It’s still not great, but it’s marginally better when it comes to replacement!

Thanks for sharing this article; it is so important to share knowledge and resources. Tech can be expensive and any saving is indeed an absolute bonus for the family budget. I was not aware of being able to search for and purchase refurbished tech. I will be sharing this information with all of my networks.

I wish this had been available when my boys were going to school. It would have saved so much scrimping and saving to make sure they didn’t go without at school. It meant we couldn’t go away on holidays because I’d have to keep working to keep up. They were definitely worth it though.

My husband is a huge fan of refurbished tech, especially phones. There are a lot of businesses that will supply company phones and replace them for latest models once the contracts are up, which can be as little as 1 year. We have both had great experience with it so I would definitely recommend it

That is an amazing tip – I had never heard of this before but sounds like a great way to save money! I am hesitant with what tech I allow for my kids. My daughter gets a Chromebook supplied by her school on a rent to buy scheme, so we don’t get a choice in that. She is definitely not at the maturity level yet for a smart phone though, so she only has a Nokia and we have very strict restrictions on her school computer.

Thanks for sharing your tips.
I leave it to my husband to research and buy these type of items as he has his own computer repair business and has far more idea of what he is buying. He does refurbishing and upgrading from computers and laptops himself as well and in fact regularly builds computers from scratch upon request from clients.

My laptop is a refurbished one and I have been using it for years without any major problems. I have had to replace the adapter but otherwise it has been a reliable piece of tech. I would recommend buying from a reputable seller with good reviews.

can say ive ever purchased something refurbished in tech but its important to do your research into it before buying. it can be a fantastic way to save money for something that will become outdated in a couple years to a newer model. but always be wary of products that are too damaged or come with a bad battery as it’ll cost you more long term

I have bought a lot of refurbished tech over the years, and have had very few problems. Admittedly I used to use Catch of the Day (which has sadly shut down now). But still, it’s generally been a good experience. I have hesitated a bit to buy tech through eBay because they’re great until there’s a problem.

I know my daughter is going to need an iPad for school in a couple of years, so i have already started saving for it but this is a great option for those who would like to consider a refurbished one. I have looked at these before but don’t know anyone who has purchased one and i am hesitant to actually buy one without knowing someone who has.

Overlapping this with end of financial year or boxing day sales and Cash Rewards or Shop Back cash back adds further savings again. I also ensure I list these on my insurance incidentals for if the kids lose them outside of home and back up to cloud to avoid the unexpected bill and lost homework disaster but we have not had to use this yet.