best buy review - Stuff Parents Need

Sneezing? Blurry Eyes? Best Buy Can Help With That, Too!

April 3, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Are you sneezing like crazy in your neck of the woods? I’m happy to report that whenever I’m inside my house these days, I’m feeling really good. But as soon as I step outside, the itchy nose, watery eyes, scratchy throat, sneezing and wheezing fun begins, usually in just the time it takes for me to get from my house to my car, which is about 10 seconds.

Yuck!

photo credit: bill barber via photopin cc

So why is the inside of my house a safe place for this allergy-prone gal? Because I have an air purifier, also known as my very best friend throughout the spring and the fall.

What’s that, you say? You don’t own one? Because they are on the pricey side?

Oh my friends. Let me help you out RIGHT NOW!!!! Best Buy, a store you already know and love, actually carries air purifiers (did you know that?!) and they want to help get your allergies under control and make it more affordable to do so! Right now they have a special Friends and Family coupon offer that I get to extend to my entire Stuff Parents Need family. It will take 20% off the price of any air purification product sold at Best Buy between now and April 15th! It is only valid in stores, so make sure you get it on your calendar to go in the next week and get some much needed relief.

I know air purifiers aren’t exactly the most glamorous purchase on earth, but as someone who lived without one for years and is now experiencing life with one, I wish so much that I purchased one sooner. I could have saved hundreds on allergy medication, not to mention boxes of tissue and lots of time spent feeling icky!

If your mortal enemy looks like mine (goldenrod, pictured above, is my kryptonite), then now is the time to get the very best weapon in the fight against allergies. Best Buy is a fantastic place to buy an air purifier. Don’t forget the 20% off coupon!

I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card in exchange for my time sharing this helpful information with you. All thoughts (and allergy woes) are mine alone!

Best Buy Recycling! Sending Old Friends to a Better Place

February 23, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Do you have an old friend that still lives with you, and that you can’t bring yourself to kick out because of all the great memories you share together?

I’m talking about an old friend that looks like this:

This was my first iPhone. I got it just 2 weeks after Darah was born. It reminds me of how many ways my life has changed since that day, and not just when it comes to technology!

But, alas, my phone is very out of date now. It won’t run many of the apps that are currently out and that I’d like to use. And so, it is of no practical use to me. But throwing it in the garbage not only seems cruel, but it also seems not very eco-friendly.

Best Buy actually has a solution for those beloved but outdated gadgets filling up junk drawers in your home. Check out the Best Buy Recycling Program. This is one of the greatest recycling efforts in the entire industry, and it is 100% free! On average, Best Buy is recycling 387 pounds of electronics EVERY MINUTE that the store is open. This is such a huge help for our environment, as technology is the fastest growing type of waste on the entire planet. I, for one, really respect Best Buy for taking ownership of the need to provide technology recycling opportunities since they are one of the largest retailers of this technology.

So how does it work? It really couldn’t be more simple! Bring your old electronic item to Best Buy, hand it over to an associate, and it will be recycled and/or disposed of in a safe and responsible way.

Will Best Buy recyle REALLY old electronic stuff, like my Gameboy from 1994 or even my Atari joystick from 1979? Yes, indeed!

Will Best Buy only accept items I purchased from them? Not at all! It doesn’t matter where or when you acquired the item. If it is an electronic item, they WILL recycle it.

Tim actually has a box of older electronic stuff that we will be sorting through today and carrying over to Best Buy for recycling. The environment wins because these items will be properly disposed of and we win because we will reclaim some space in our home and stop fretting about what to do with all that junk!

Thanks so much, Best Buy, for serving as a hub for recycling electronics. I encourage you to gather up your old technology items that are just gathering dust in your home and haul them over to Best Buy! While you are there, don’t forget to browse through their extensive line of Energy Star certified products, as well. That’s right…you can upgrade that energy-draining fridge you have to one that is much friendlier to the Earth and to your monthly energy bill! Best Buy has you covered!

I have been compensated in the form of a BestBuy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Solution Central at Best Buy: FREE Services to Help You Maximize Your Technology

January 31, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Last weekend I visited a store that I have not set foot inside of for probably 2 or 3 years.

I went to Best Buy.

Now, I haven’t been inside the store not because Best Buy made me mad or I have some horrible memory of a guy breaking up with me in the parking lot or anything else dramatic. It just doesn’t come up on my short list of places to visit. If pressed, I’d have to offer the following reasons why:

1. I seem to recall the stores being very busy but also very haphazard. Great customer service, but still intimidating if you were feeling a bit clueless about a particular gadget you were considering. Definitely an overwhelming place to go with kids.

2. I like and DO shop at their online store (I purchased the laptop I am using right this minute at BestBuy.com during the holidays of 2010). Like many other folks my age, shopping online is a very normal thing, and often, is preferable to having to make a trip to the store.

So when I walked into my local Best Buy this past weekend, I was rather shocked by what I saw. The layout was sleeker, easier to visually navigate (lower shelves, less busy-ness), and smack dab in the center of the store was a safe haven for anyone who needed a little bit of help.

The area had several employees stationed there, ready to answer any questions about products customers might be considering purchasing, or even about products that they already purchased.

I happened to be signed up for a free technology class that Best Buy offers on saving money by using your smart phone. I love my iPhone, but I do NOT love the monthly bill. I want to make sure my device is working as hard as possible for me to save money wherever I can.

Signing up for this class was very easy. There are several different class options, and there are also FREE one-on-one consultations offered to help you get your specific questions answered. Here are the steps to take!

Step 1 – visit www.geeksquad.com/scheduling

Step 2 – scroll down to ‘In-Store Solution Central Scheduling’

Step 3 – Click on the ‘Schedule a Reservation’ button

Step 4 – Enter your address or zip code for the available locations near you

Step 5 – Select the location you want

Step 6 – Select the reservation you want (either consultation or a class you want to attend)

Step 7 – Select date and time (very simple drop down options)

Step 8 – Provide your contact information (not only for registration, but you will be sent confirmation and reminder emails, which is so helpful if you are forgetful like me!)

Normally the classes have around 6 people in them, but I hit the jackpot, because I was the only one signed up for this particular class. That meant one-on-one attention! 🙂 The Geek Squad agent showed me a few apps that I already use and love (Groupon and Living Social) but then she introduced me to 4 other apps that I wasn’t using and that I got REALLY excited about trying. One of them will help me easily put together menus and grocery lists based not only on my families preferences, but also on what happens to be on sale that week. Talk about a HUGE money and time saver!

I was really impressed with the agent I worked with, and with the entire concept of Solution Central. Best Buy is working hard to ensure that customers don’t feel like their experience has ended after they have made their purchases. They want to make sure you really enjoy what you purchased, and sometimes that means that you need to have a place to go to get some of your questions answered.

Or, you might be plugging along just fine but not making optimal use of your technology, as in my case with the iPhone. Best Buy gave me some great tips to help me make my device work harder for me and make my life a little bit easier. Isn’t that part of its purpose, after all?

If you are looking to get more out of your technology, see what you can learn through Solution Central at Best Buy. There are many FREE services offered, and it isn’t even necessary for you to have made your technology purchase with Best Buy in order to make use of Solution Central (I purchased my iPhone at the AT&T store, for example).

If you need repair services, know that those are also available through Solution Central, though there is a cost for this type of service. My experience with the technology class, though, was very positive and there was absolutely NO talk of the paid services provided (so you aren’t given any sort of sales pitch while you are there). Current topics for the technology classes include the following:

Windows 8
What’s New with Apps
Different Operating Systems
How to Watch TV on you Phone

Definitely check out your nearest Solution Central at Best Buy to learn some great new tips and tricks or to get some help with questions you have about products you already own.

Just don’t be surprised if you find your significant other sneaking over to the Wii station for a quick game!

I have been compensated for my time conducting this review in the form of a Best Buy gift card. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.