Deals on Apple iPads, iPods and More

Deals on Apple products are few and far between. You have to be very savvy and spend time daily monitoring sites that seek out deals.

I have a trick to save a little extra on those high end electronics that rarely get discounted. First, I find a retailer that sells online. In this case, I've chosen Best Buy.

Then I find the best cash back website. My favorites are Upromise and Ebates. Upromise is connected with Sallie Mae and the cash back earned can be directed towards student loans or college savings. Upromise often has the higher percentage cash back, but I always check both. Today the cash back is 5%.

Next, I order discount gift cards. My favorite sites are CardCash.com and MonsterGiftCard.com. Discounts and supply vary so I always check both. Best Buy discounts average 4-6% off face value.

Let's break it down:

• 1 iPad Air is $499 full retail
• By accessing the Best Buy website via Upromise, I will get 5% cash back on $499. A savings of $24.95.
• I still need to pay the full $499 so I buy enough discount gift cards to cover the purchase.
• If I buy $500 in gift cards at 5% off the face value, I pay $475 for the cards. A savings of $25.
• That's a total savings of $49.95 or 10%. Not bad for a little extra effort.

A couple of other considerations:

• You don't need to pay or wait for shipping. I can order online and select store pickup. I get the 5% from the cash back site and can stop by my local Best Buy to pick up my item that day.
• If you pay sales tax and buy enough gift cards to cover the tax, you will get a discount on the tax as well.
• If you earn miles or other rewards with a favorite credit card, you can use it to buy your gift cards.
• I would still earn rewards at Best Buy for a $499 purchase.

Win, win, win, win, win!!!