Thinking New? Think Refurbished

Many people cannot afford brand new products, especially electronics. One option for consumers is to wait a couple of years for the current model to go on sale or clearance and take the back seat to a newer one. For me, I know that I can’t afford the newest or trendiest product and usually have to wait before I can buy a new toy to play with.




Luckily, there is another option, but many don’t know about it or are afraid to take a chance with it. Buy refurbished. Yes, refurbished, reconditioned products. The first thought that probably comes to mind is that this is was a broken product and I am going to buy a broken, scratched, or non-working item. That’s not the case.

For a number of reasons, a refurbished product is the way to go to if you want a newer, trendier product for a fraction of the cost.

First, the quality of most refurbished products is as good, if not better, than their original, new counterparts. Often times they are just returned products that a previous buyer did not like and cannot be sold as new, so they are labeled as ‘refurbished’ upon resale. The biggest difference will be a different, ‘refurbished specific’ box you receive the item in.

Second, if they are returned because of a defect, the problem is located and fixed. This means that the problem has already been addressed by a previous owner and will be repaired by the original manufacturer, not a 3rd party repair shop. It will be given a thorough look over and inspection. Also, many times newer parts will be put into the system. Newer more improved versions of the broken part may even be used, benefiting you. Plus, you are buying directly from the manufacturer, so there is a higher standard they abide by, in order to retain their reputation.

Last, is the thing we all want to hear, price. Refurbished products can be bought for 25-35 % off of MSRP, sometimes even more. That’s a rather substantial discount for a basically new product.

So next time you think that you cannot afford the newest laptop or flat screen television, think again and think refurbished!

20 Minutes of Cardio in Two Easy Steps

The reason that most people don't workout is because they think there isn't enough time during the day. Their excuse is "I can't go the the gym after work for an hour everyday..." To get an effective workout, you don't need to spend hours a day in the gym hopping from bike to treadmill to elliptical. 20 minutes of moderate to intensecardio a day is all that is recommended to help maintain health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

20 minutes of daily exercise can be broken into two 10-minute bouts throughout the day. The first one can be done after you wake up in the morning. If you normally wake up at 7am, set your alarm to go off 15 minutes earlier, and you can get your first part of the workout done before work. If you have a stationary bike of treadmill, take 1-2 minutes to warm up, and then for the next 10 minutes, continue at your desired intensity. Preferably in your target heart rate zone. Don't have a treadmill or bike? Walk up and down your stairs for 10 minutes. Don't have stairs in your house you say? You can take a brisk walk around the block, or jump rope for the 10 minutes. Not only will you have half of your workout for the day completed, you will also feel more energized as you take on the work day.

The next half of your workout can be done upon returning home from work. I know most people are exhausted after 8-10 hours of work a day, and the last thing they want to think about is working out, but it's only 10 minutes of running or biking. You want to take care of this right away, because then you might become too comfortable on the couch or at your computer. So do a quick, good 10 minutes of sweating, and you are done for the day. That's it, that's a workout. It's barely invasive to your normal schedule and the results will last you a lifetime.

A third option is if you don't want to exercise in the morning, which is understandable because many people can't think straight let alone run for 10 minutes at 7am, is use your lunch break. You can take an extra 10 minutes for lunch and before you eat, take a walk around the building or up and down 5-10 flights of stairs. When you drive to work, take the furthest parking spot and walking to and from your car each day provides benefits as well.

Make your workout enjoyable and fresh each day. You can out on your favorite radio station or television show when you are working out. Have the family join you on your walk or bike ride. The key is the make sure you keep it interesting. If you do bike in the morning, run in the afternoon. If you jump rope at lunch, take a walk with your wife after dinner. You don't want to get bored with the same thing every day.

There is no excuse for you to not get in a workout. Now get out there and stay healthy.