At Home with Tech

We all know how expensive personal tech can be. The price points don’t change for your kids and teens. Tech is tech.

As a parent of a teenager in high school, it’s already been a couple years since I faced the reality that toys are for kids, and he’s not really a kid anymore. When I shop for our son, he wants (and often needs) the same tech as I do.

That said, the gear we all use is often available at a variety of price points. So, when shopping for our teen, yes, I’m inclined to first look at the lower end, but I’m also mindful to get him something ‘good.’ 

I don’t want to fall for ‘a deal’ on a model that’s subpar. A bargain is not always good value in the name of trying to save a buck. Not for me. Not for my boy.

So, I do find it a complex balancing act as a parent, and I must admit I carry some baggage to this shopping equation.

My Father Got Me Used Tech
I recall the moments my own father gifted me the tech I craved when I was a kid… a stereo system for my room and later a cool Sony Walkman. What I also still remember was the stereo was in an already-opened box, and my Walkman had an annoying dent in its metal frame (but it worked fine).

Not to diss my dad, who passed away in 2022, but the memories of these slightly used gifts still kick around the back of my brain. 

Sure, he was probably going through the same questions as I am now as a father. And he made some choices. And just so you know, it wasn’t an affordability question. There are a few other details, but they don’t change the facts. Nor do they blunt these feelings decades later.

Finding a deal for yourself is one thing. Shopping for a discount for someone else’s gift can be entirely different. As we go through this topic, I just wanted to reveal this story as I share my own gifting strategies as a dad.

Of course, I look for reasonable and smart ways to buy tech more affordably for my son. But I also don’t want to repeat the gifting mistakes my father did.

So, all this said, here are four ways I’ve been trying to navigate this tech terrain as a father…

#1
Start at the Entry Level
As any number of tech product categories mature, less expensive versions eventually show up. They’re usually not as good. But sometimes… they’re almost as good and often in the ways that matter most. And that’s where I look for gifting opportunities.

I like this approach especially with the brands we already know and love. Apple’s iPhone SE is a great example, and yep, my son has one. I actually bought it for myself as a ‘transition phone’ after I drowned my old iPhone. (That’s a whole other story.) Later, the SE went to him.

Not every entry level choice is the right move. You’ve got to do some homework.

#2
Shop for Yesterday’s Best
Sometimes, last year’s model at a discount is still a great choice. How much better is the newest version really going to be?  

And most importantly, last year’s great model can be a much better choice than a cheaper model that’s brand new. Shopping for price is only one piece of the equation.

I recently applied this shopping strategy for a pair of noise-cancelling wireless headphones for our son.

I went with the older Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Over-Ear Headphones. They received amazing reviews. But there’s a newer model: the Px7 Se. Yes, that’s the latest-and-greatest (unless you must have the even more expensive Px8).

But the discontinued Px7 S2 was still for sale and at a nicely discounted price. So, I bought it. 

I think the Px7 S2 was a really solid choice. And most importantly, my son loves his new headphones.

Always remember to take a look at yesterday’s best.

#3
Don’t Skimp on the Guts of a Computer
We’re an Apple family. So, of course my son has a MacBook. I got him the MacBook Air. No… not the more expensive MacBook Pro. But I made that choice also because the MacBook Air is so good. And I bought the current model at the time. 

Sure, I could have saved a couple hundred dollars on last year’s model. But in this circumstance, I didn’t follow my ‘yesterday’s-best’ strategy. I applied a different shopping strategy for computers. 

I always like to buy the current model with the newest chip. That choice can help the laptop last at least an extra year or more at the back end of its life cycle.

Same rule for me and our son.

#4
Brand Often Matters
Not every model that a well-known brand sells is going to be good. Again, you’ve got to do your homework. But if you’ve got to put your trust somewhere, I think it’s smart to stick with the brands you already know. 

This may seem like an obvious point when it comes to big-ticket items, but for any number of accessories, you’re going to come across plenty of manufacturers you don’t recognize.

Be careful. I’d say it’s not worth taking the risk to save a few bucks. Sure, there are exceptions, but there’s already a fair amount of playing the odds when you shop. Why not stack the odds in your favor?

Shop Smart
Buying tech for your teen should follow the same smart shopping strategies for any purchase:

• Identify a quality product.
• Only get the features you need.
• Then find a good price.

Of course, there’s always the hand-me-down strategy (like My iPhone SE). Nothing really wrong with that (although teen Barrett would probably have taken issue with it).

But if you’re making a purchase, yesterday’s best is usually the perfect place to start your search.