CheapUncle finds bargains, and then some
Save yourself some cash as you push through your end-of-year bills. CheapUncle caught our eye because it produces very quick results and decent bargains across a wide range of products.
Its tech-product results rank among the best we’ve found with any comparable search service. It also covers apparel and sporting goods fairly well. It didn’t find good or varied results in searching for outdoor gear, however.
Results also vary depending on search terms. We searched for “altimeter wristwatch,” then for “Lacrosse chronograph.” Both searches will find the identical product, but the number of “hits” varied depending on the terms used. With the first search, the watch prices never fell below $74. With the second search, the best prices were about $15 lower.
Another plus: When specific product coupons are available, the site identifies their value, where to get them and when they expire.
Costco trade-in
This smart idea, developed by our Issaquah friends at Costco.com, is a hardware trade-in program that will buy old and used tech stuff you want to be rid of.
The trade-in calculator is at greensight.com/CostcoTrades/ Common/equiptypes.aspx. If the tool finds the stuff you have is worth buying, it will let you ship the item free. In return you get a Costco gift card for the amount the item is worth, ranging from under $10 up to several hundred dollars for high-end stuff.
Eight types of equipment are eligible: notebooks, desktops, mp3 players, LCD monitors, game systems, camcorders, digital cameras and smartphones. The system also lets you enter names and model numbers for CRT monitors, printers and fax machines, but those are only accepted for free recycling, not for cash.
A 4 gigabyte iPod (second generation) in good condition is worth $48 in the program, for instance.