Don't miss another post! Get recipes, tutorials, projects and decor inspiration delivered to your inbox for free! Enter your email below and follow along with Suburble!You've got your eye on a pricey new Dyson vacuum cleaner, but the cost sends shock waves rippling through your budget. If you could snag that Dyson for a little more than half-price, would you go for it?And if high-end vacuums aren't the only budget bombs on your list of wants, take heart and grab that debit card -- you can also purchase state-of-the-art televisions, MP3 players, computers, stand mixers and hundreds of other products at jaw-dropping discounts. Look for factory reconditioned or refurbished items, which offer deals at a fraction of retail value.Factory reconditioned products have been previously sold and returned. The reason for the return varies -- wrong color or model, not working, missing a part or the customer simply changed his or her mind. Open-box returns are also sold by some companies under the factory reconditioned umbrella.

The name says it all: The original box has been opened and the item returned, many times without use or noted defects.Almost all reconditioned items, such as computers, go back through the quality control process. The item's inspected the same as a brand-new one, then reboxed and resold. But lest you worry unscrupulous manufacturers sell reconditioned merchandise as new, that's a legal no-no. Buy from a well-known manufacturer and you can score big on savings, while remaining confident that what you're getting is first-rate., says that worries about the economy are leading many to look for savings in new places. "More people than before are interested in learning frugal techniques," McCoy says.Take that reconditioned Dyson vacuum, for example. It sold at Target for $599 plus sales tax. The cheapest sale price we could find for that model was $479 -- a one-time offer on Amazon. for $299, with no sales tax and free shipping. That's a 50 percent discount from the everyday price."It looked new when I bought it, and still does," Savage says of the vacuum cleaner, adding that the only maintenance required so far has been belt replacement.

Although Savage says the purifier recently quit, he saved 50 percent by purchasing it reconditioned, and he says the machine ran nonstop 24 hours a day, seven days a week."I think that is pretty good for a fan motor to run that long," says Savage.San Antonio attorney Reba Kennedy says she successfully bought a washer-and-dryer set, a trash compactor and a desktop computer -- all reconditioned. bionaire room air purifier, and a TiVo box directly from the manufacturer."air duct cleaning hoffman estates ilMy experience has been extremely positive. thermax water based air purifierDrastically reduced prices for the same goods always works for me!" "Both products arrived in sealed boxes with all the necessary manuals, plugs, etc., and are working properly.""

When I first opened my company, I really didn't have a lot of money, so factory reconditioned computer equipment was my only real financial choice," Marich says. Now that money is no longer an issue, he continues to buy reconditioned."Since opening my company, I figured out that I have saved just over $25,000 by not buying new. For a small company like mine, that is a lot of money," he says, adding that savings like that can be better used upgrading the furniture or phone system, or leasing a better office."With computer systems and software getting better and cheaper every year, it just seems like a real waste of money to buy new," Marich says.Not all reconditioned items come with warranties. If you have to pay extra for one, weigh the price of the item against the cost of the warranty.You don't always get to choose colors. Some items are sold like a grab bag -- you get what they send you.Not every reconditioned item is a bargain. Carefully research the price. Sometimes manufacturers mark down new merchandise in anticipation of the release of newer versions.

Compare prices before clicking on "buy now."Read the description carefully and make certain your purchase comes complete with all the accessories in the original packaging.Don't forget that many times, the merchandise you're buying reconditioned has had issues, says Ken Colburn, president of Data Doctors Computer Services. He calls it "pre-broken," although of course, not all reconditioned merchandise has been broken. But Colburn's point is that buying preconditioned isn't without risk. Honeywell has a number of portable as well as whole-house devices. portables are listed here. You can find info on the whole-house units on theirAvailable at Lowes, Sears, Home Depot, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. 18150 Honeywell enviracaire� SilentComfort� Air Cleaner 16100 Honeywell enviracaire� Portable True HEPA Air Cleaner with Odor Lock� Filter Technology (rooms up to 160 square feet) 17000, 17250, 17400, 17450 Honeywell enviracaire� QuietCare� HEPA Air Cleaners

43300 Honeywell enviracaire� Two-Stage Professional Design HEPA/CPZ� Air Cleaner16060 Honeywell enviracaire� Portable HEPA Air Cleaner - ("Traditional"; different sizes) 13350 - "I live in an oldish apartment complex and smokers moved in belowI am allergic to smoke, so this was a serious problem. I got a Honeywell 13350 with hepa filter and BOY does it work. Cannot smell the smoke or any other funky odors coming from their apartment. Plus, I can breathe better and my allergies have calmed down." -Mandy Oreck Air Cleaners (and a comparison to other brands) Oreck Hypo-Allerginic Tabletop Air Cleaner -- $199.00 on website Oreck Hypo-Allergenic Multi-room Air Cleaner -- $499.00 on website "I use the Oreck console because of my allergies. I also have one of the big Honeywell HEPAs, but it just doesn't work as well. The Oreck is a bit more work, as you have to clean the filter every few months depending on the condition of

the air around you and the amount of particles, but it's been worth it for me. If you use this cleaner around a smoker, you'll have to clean the filter a lot more often, but it totally eliminates the smoke odors and particles from the room within 10 minutes. I can't say the same for my HEPA filter. Clean mode, my Oreck is pretty quiet. I like being able to control how hard I want it to work, depending on how dirty the air is. The Sharper Image Ionic Breeze is less expensive, but I opted for the more powerful cleaner because I live in an old house, with many pets, occasionally my smoker dad drops in for visits, and I'm extremely allergic to pollens. The Ionic Breeze doesn't move the air nearly as well, relying completely on its ionizing wands and natural air circulation in the room, which is pretty slow. The most effective cleaners circulate the air with a fan. The Oreck also has 2-5 times more surface area for the ionizing effect to take place, depending on the model.

All in all, though, I think the ionizing technology used in both these cleaners is better than most HEPA filters." - Pipsqueak Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier - $329. Current special on website: Two for $494.93. "Totally silent, no filters." -Comes in 3 sizes at $250(small), $500(medium), and $1000 Uses water to filter the air, humidifying the air at the same time. size is recommended as humidifier only though, lacking the horsepower to cleanQuiet, easy to clean and requires no filters, wicks or any other kind ofThe water treatment solution is $20 for a bottle that will last 4-5 There is some controversy over the effectiveness and safety of negative ion generators (Here are some sites to review for information: Dell Inspiron Laptops - they offer a free DVD player upgrade Toshiba Satellite Laptops* - I personally recommend these very highly. I�ve bought two and been extremely happy with both. They are loaded with all the